


you contain in your eyes the sunset and the dawn

by tomlinvelvet



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Angry Louis, Bottom Louis, Cat/Human Hybrids, Explicit Sexual Content, Falling In Love, Jealousy, M/M, Manhandling, Miscommunication, Misunderstandings, Pining, Protective Harry, Sexual Tension, Size Difference, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-02
Updated: 2020-01-02
Packaged: 2021-02-26 04:14:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 38,164
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21557605
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tomlinvelvet/pseuds/tomlinvelvet
Summary: Louis moaned prettily as he grabbed one of the hybrid's thighs and inched it up, his hand big enough to cover almost the entire of it. When he looked into Louis' eyes, they were practically just black, a pool of lust and tension rendering the baby blue of his eyes intense and rich. And they kept kissing until their lips tickled, until they were sure they would bruise and turn a deep burgundy colour."How was I supposed to know?" Harry mumbled in the crook of Louis' neck, letting his tongue and teeth play with the skin there."Couldn't you just talk to me?" was Louis' answer, and Harry thought.He thought of how much time they had wasted because of him.Harry Styles was to spend six months at AT&T Inc. of all telecommunications companies in the world, also known as the largest one in its field. This was the biggest deal of his life; it will both improve his expertise in the domain and maybe secure the job of his dreams. There was only one problem standing in the way, and it came in the form of a stunning, irresistible and intimidating cat hybrid of the name Louis Tomlinson. In other words, his boss.
Relationships: Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson
Comments: 45
Kudos: 356
Collections: Bottom Louis Fic Fest 2019





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> edit as of February 17, 2021: So, this will come off as self-deprecating but, the truth is, this is my first fic and I am not proud of my writing there nor of the plot overall (I just don’t like this piece of work). But I keep it up because I know some people like it, but also because it is a testimony to how much I have improved over the months. So, before reading; keep in mind that this fic is full of flaws, flaws that have thankfully disappeared the more I wrote. I am sorry in advance for them, but oh well, I won’t edit this fic to make it better — she will stay in her orignal, flawed state.
> 
> Loads and loads of love though! And happy reading.
> 
> tumblr: [tomlinvelvetfics](https://tomlinvelvetfics.tumblr.com/)

[you contain in your eyes the sunset and the dawn — fic post.](https://tomlinvelvetfics.tumblr.com/post/190010387585/you-contain-in-your-eyes-the-sunset-and-the-dawn)

_“You don’t love someone for their looks, or their clothes, or for their fancy car, but because they sing a song only you can hear.”_

**— Oscar Wilde**

The rain was pouring down in torrents, soaking his leather shoes and the very bottom of his dress pants as it met rather aggressively the cobblestone street he was walking on. Thankfully, the wind was no more than a breeze and he was able to keep his umbrella upright while clenching his worn-out satchel in his other hand. He usually loved that kind of weather, enjoyed the pitter-patter sound of the drops as they fell on a rooftop and soothed out the surrounding noises with their delicate music. But today, the angry clouds above Downtown Dallas were filling him with unwanted dread and made his emotions awkwardly on edge.

He was scarcely aware of the people around him but in his mind, he could picture them all in fancy suits and pencil skirts, with manicured nails and a phone stuck to their ear, trying to hear the voice at the other end of the device over the defining roar of the sky. Maybe it was blatantly obvious that he was new to all of this, maybe through the faint mist of water condensation in the air, these strangers could still see how tense he was. He had made a great effort this morning to brush his hair into submission, to smooth his wrinkled clothes to perfection and he even avoided eating cheese so that his breath would still smell of the pleasant fragrance of his menthol toothpaste mixed with his daily sweet black coffee.

He was certain that no matter the façade of professionalism and bonhomie he was desperately trying to keep up, everyone around him could tell just how stressed out he was. Truthfully, he wanted to turn around and run back home, but at the same time he wanted to grab whoever was next to him and tell them that _he wasn’t a bloody coward but you must understand just how scared I am of fucking up this. I usually fuck up because I’m a clumsy idiot, do you understand that? I can’t fuck this up._

Instead, he glued on his face his best smile, one where his dimples appeared on either side of his mouth, and pushed open the main glass door of the Whitacre Tower.

Before the sight of luxury and perfectly polished marble reached his brain, he was taken aback by how enormous the reception area was. It was not a hyperbole; that single room was four times bigger than his flat, which could already be considered as rather big, with two bedrooms, one walk-in closet, two bathrooms, a spacious living area and an almost equally-sized kitchen. His brain and body were not synchronised, to his delight; while his thoughts were stuck on the magnificence of his surroundings, his legs took him to one of the receptionists. At least, he didn’t make a fool of himself by staying in front of the entrance to gape at the unfamiliarity in front of him. As his eyes found a pretty blonde standing behind a thin computer, he also registered how his hands had closed his own umbrella to put it in a metallic umbrella holder near the door.

He was so out of it he barely kept track of his movements. He willed his brain to focus and schooled his expression in a neutral but charming one, knowing he had to win over as many people as possible. He stood straighter and cleared his throat subtly before addressing the woman.

“Excuse me? I am here to see Mr Tomlinson,” he said with a soft voice that he hoped sounded alluring; just the right amount to make people trust him, to have people look at him and think, _he is a good man, we should keep him._ The woman — Betty, he read on a quaint name tag worn above the pocket on the right side of her blouse — smiled politely at him, her eyes never quite leaving her computer screen.

“May I have your name please,” she asked and he answered her with a crisp _Harry Styles,_ his own name sounding generic to his ears. He caught himself praying that everything would go according to the plan; that he had indeed a rendezvous with Mr Tomlinson, that his father didn’t give him misleading information. He would rather be skinned alive than face rejection, so he held his breath while she browsed through the many files on her computer. The mouse made soft _click click click_ noises as her fingers pressed on it, and sometimes he found himself wondering whether they matched the pace of his heart or not.

“Mr Tomlinson will see you in a few minutes. You’ll want the last elevator on the right, press for the thirty-seventh floor. Someone will be waiting for you,” she told him with a smile and, after nodding at her, he made his way through a few security guards until he found the right elevator.

The inside of it was completely covered in mirrors and wherever he looked, his reflection stared back at him teasingly. He took a moment to look at himself; nothing had much changed during his trip from his flat to the building. His hair was slightly damp due to the rain but not enough for it to be noticeable. His lips were bright pink, a telltale sign that he had been unconsciously biting them out of nervousness, but he didn’t think too much about it because it made his mouth look good. His eyes were green and shone in the light and for a moment he thought they appeared darker than their usual colour, but he couldn’t be sure. His suit perfectly kissed the curves of his tall body and made his biceps more defined. He looked good, he concluded, he looked like himself with the marriage of rings on his fingers and his silver necklaces around his neck.

He was alone for ten floors but then someone entered the elevator hurriedly, a strong wave of expensive cologne filling the whole interior. Harry made sure to be as far away from the man as possible without coming off as rude and kept his eyes on the button panel. He watched as an orange light illuminated buttons after buttons to indicate which floor they passed as they went higher and higher. The cologne smelled good, he noted, and after focusing on it, he was pretty sure he could decipher bergamot, pineapple and oak moss.

“Do you happen to be Harry Styles?”

He blinked when the comfortable silence was broken and, turning his head to look at the other person, he was surprised when two bright blue eyes were already looking back. The man was slightly shorter than him, skinny and dressed in a designer suit. He had a pale complexion and chocolate brown hair. He wore an open, friendly expression on his face which put Harry at ease. It took him a few more seconds to spot the little cat ears on top of the man’s head.

“That would be me,” he confirmed and he grabbed the man’s extended hand, giving it a firm shake.

“That’s excellent. I’m Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson’s assistant. We were expecting you, I’m glad I caught you on my way up there. How are you doing, mate?”

Harry found himself smiling at the familiarity, which was very much welcome to help him step out of his anxious mindset. Niall seemed to know that too, judging by the understanding lopsided smile he was giving him.

“I’m feeling like someone who is about to have a very important interview with a very important person,” he said honestly, making Niall chuckle.

“Fair enough, but don’t fret too much, we’re pretty cool around here. Plus, it’s an internship. You already got your place here.”

Harry nodded and took a deep breath when the elevator doors opened on the last and highest floor of the Whitacre Tower. Niall stepped out first before gesturing for him to follow, which he did while awe fell upon him as he took in the floor where Tomlinson’s office resided. If he thought the reception area was extraordinary, it was incomparable to the architecture which now surrounded him. He was walking on spotless light grey porcelain tiles and the walls were in a same colour except paintings adorned them, each of them unique and expressive. One of the walls was actually just glass and it gave a jaw-dropping view of the city below. From there, the cars looked like ants and the clouds seemed to be close enough for him to reach out and grab a piece of the cotton candy like texture. Looking up, crystal chandeliers were hanging from the ceiling and he could only imagine how beautiful they would look at night when only their warm glow would lit up the room.

“Can I get you anything to drink? Mr Tomlinson should finish his meeting in five minutes, you can sit down in the meantime,” Niall told him, and after one last lingering glance at the view, he walked over to one of the plush white settees, loving how his whole body sunk into its softness. He declined the offer of a drink and for a short moment, he allowed himself to forget where he was and the apprehension which had built up in his body the whole week left, giving a bit of peace to his mind.

Niall was working at his desk and Harry wondered how it felt to work in such a nice place every day. There were reed diffusers here and there and all of them had a fragrance of patchouli, citrus and aromatic basil which was a pure delight to smell and even soothed out his worry. There were no noises to bother them except the tiny, almost non-existent rattling sound of the air conditioning which made the room sufficiently cold to make him regret not bringing an extra jacket, but he figured he would rather be cold than sweat through his suit and end up smelly.

Eight minutes had ticked down when the door of what he assumed was Mr Tomlinson’s office opened and a good-looking, tall man stepped out with traces of laugher lingering on his handsome features.

“Alright, Tomlinson, but I won’t back down until you agree to a round of pool. You ought to get out of that office. Niall! Long time no see,” said he, his expression turning fond as he gazed at Niall, who blushed slightly under the attention. Harry observed the exchange with interest, holding back a smirk when Niall flushed as the man’s eyes never faltered from him.

“Zayn, lad, c’mon, stop looking at him like that and get the hell out of here,” a high-pitched, melodic voice called out from inside the office which made Zayn laugh and walk to the elevator, not before sending a wink to both Niall and him. As Zayn disappeared, he had enough time to notice the black cat ears concealed behind his perfectly styled quiff. Niall cleared his throat loudly.

“Mr Tomlinson is ready to see you, just walk through the door.”

He nodded and as he stood up, he almost fell back down when stress came back to hit him full force in the face. His knuckles turned white around his satchel and his muscles tensed up so that when he marched to the thick, heavy oak door which had been left open for him, he could tell how unnaturally straight his posture was. It was as if someone had tied his limbs to strings and was pulling them to keep his body up. In a fruitless attempt to relax, he glanced over his shoulder to find Niall, who sent him a thumbs-up. It did nothing to calm him down.

The first thing he noticed when he entered Mr Tomlinson’s office, was how much _warmer_ it seemed. When the rest of the building was in a colour scheme of white and grey, his office was a pleasant canvas of brown, green and beige. There were potted plants in a few corners and shelves after shelves of books neatly organized from the smallest to the largest. In front of the floor-to-ceiling window, there was a huge dark-wood desk that could welcome at least five people, its surface covered in perfect stacks of papers with a modern, large computer screen in a corner.

His heart stopped when he found the eyes of Louis Tomlinson, who was seated behind the impressive desk, on a big and plush leather chair. For a moment, the world stilled except for his heart which sped up. He had heard the name _Tomlinson_ enough time to have it permanently tattooed on his brain, and though he had seen group pictures with the man in front of him present in them, those didn’t do him justice.

Harry’s eyes snapped to the fluffy, adorable cat ears on top of Louis’ head. They were entirely black except for their points which were a soft white colour. Hybrids had always intimidated him and as he took in the man, the _powerful_ man before him, in his designer grey suit and luxurious office, the feeling enhanced until all he wanted to do was to crawl into a corner and never see the light of day ever again.

Louis Tomlinson smiled as he stood up.

“Mr Styles, right? For the internship?” Louis asked with one hand extended. Harry nodded and grabbed it with his own, chanting _please don’t tremble please don’t tremble please don’t tremble_ in his head. He was pleased when Louis didn’t linger too long and walked around him to two large beige sofas. He sat down and gestured for him to do the same. He sighed softly when his back hit the cushioned sofa and some of the anxiousness in his shoulder blades vanished. He couldn’t tell if it were because he could lean all his weight down and prevent himself from shaking or because Louis hadn’t stopped smiling warmly at him.

“Thank you for having me, Mr Tomlinson. I’m aware you are a busy man so I really appreciate it,” he managed to get out, his voice, to his surprise, steady and neutral.

“I’ve only heard good things about you so I was quite curious to meet you. We also needed someone to replace one of our engineers who had to take a break due to personal matters. We don’t typically do internships, but there’s a start to everything,” Louis put his head on his palm as he said that, his eyes never leaving him. He tried to keep eye contact and ignore the way his lower belly tickled at Louis’ voice; soft, slightly high-pitched and velvet-like. It was a beautiful voice.

“Then I’m glad to be the first to enjoy the opportunity,” he candidly answered, because he wasn’t a fool and knew how lucky he was to be the one sitting there when a lot of his fellow undergraduates out there still struggled to find an internship.

For a few minutes, Louis was silent, content to just watch him which left Harry flustered, though he tried not to show it. Was it something powerful men did? Did they stare at their inferiors, at their prey, hoping to find a defect to use against them? Louis didn’t seem to be that kind of man, Harry told himself, on the contrary, he had a welcoming and benevolent aura. Harry had noticed the family pictures framed on Louis’ desk or the drawings on the wall that could have only been made by a toddler. Surely those were signs that Louis was a good man. He licked his dry lips, trying to will his brain to stop thinking.

It ended up fruitless when Louis’ index finger touched his own bottom lip in thoughts. Harry’s whole attention zoomed on that tiny spot, and he couldn’t help but note how smooth and shiny Louis’ lips looked.

 _Attractive bastard,_ he silently cursed.

“You’ll be assisted by Liam Payne, one of our best engineers there. You’ll be paid of course until the end of your internship and I will then give my report of your work. I hope you won’t let me down but from what I’ve heard, I’m not too worried about that.”

Louis jumped to his feet.

“Thank you,” Harry said and they shook hands once again. A delicious jolt of electricity went through his digits when they met the soft skin of Louis’ hand, though he managed to not wince, instead keeping his face void of any expressions. The room, he realized, had become much warmer and the back of his neck properly _burned_ which left him confused. He seldom felt like this in the presence of a good-looking person; he could certainly enjoy the pleasure they brought to his eyes, but it never stirred any reactions as extreme as sweating through the layer of his suit upon beholding the way Louis’ jacket made his small waist more distinct and his biceps more defined.

Louis’ hair swept over his forehead in an elegant fringe, covering half of his right cheek. His jaw was shaved to perfection, which Harry concluded was what made him look so different; on the few pictures he had seen, Louis always had a stubble which made him seem a few years older. Louis’ cheekbones were as sharp as glass and could probably cut right through Harry’s heart.

Harry wanted to throw Louis on the couch and lavish his body with kisses and love-bites. Instead, he smiled slightly when Louis started to walk to the door. That very same smile disappeared when his eyes dropped to Louis’ round, perfect arse and the fluffy, long black tail coming out of the suit, swaying left and right in a tantalizing rhythm. He was so focused on how soft it looked that he didn’t notice the carpet at his feet and the tip of one of his boots bumped into its thick edge, making him face plant to the ground. His satchel fell next to him in a huge noise but it still didn’t conceal the loud gasp which Louis let out.

His whole body froze and his cheeks became as hot as the pit of hell as his brain processed what had just happened. _Oh my fucking God, I just fell in front of Louis Tomlinson._ He gulped in horror. _Oh my fucking God, he’s right next to me._

“Harry, are you alright?” Louis inquired about, his voice filled with worry. Louis’ petite hands touched Harry’s shoulder blades to try and get him up, which he did with shaky legs. He was _mortified;_ he wanted the ground to open up and swallow him whole. He couldn’t bring himself to look at Louis who was still touching him, probably making sure that he had nothing broken. He was so out of it and ashamed that he didn’t find it in himself to make a comment when Louis bent down to grab his bag, going as far as putting the strap on Harry’s hunched shoulder.

“Hey, it’s alright, I’ve myself tripped over that carpet many times before. Didn’t quite fall as spectacularly as you though, love,” Louis sent him a teasing smile that he half-tried to return, but his attention was on the oak door that he wanted to run through until he was out of the building and far, far away from Louis. He chuckled, embarrassed and rubbed the back of his neck when this time Louis mentioned for him to walk ahead. The path from the couches to Niall’s desk suddenly seemed endless and it was made worse when one of Louis’ hands found its way on his lower back, gently guiding him forward.

“This is your work schedule. Liam will be waiting for you tomorrow morning and he will show you around before you’re introduced to the few projects ongoing. It was a pleasure meeting you, Mr Styles.”

“Likewise,” Harry croaked out, ignoring Niall’s slightly raised eyebrow as he took the piece of paper that was handed to him. His schedule was printed on the recto. He nodded towards Louis before making a beeline for the elevator, pushing the button harder than was necessary to call it. He didn’t turn around until he was safe within the walls of the metallic box and kept his eyes on his boots despite of how aware he was of Louis’ eyes on him. _Stop looking at me,_ he silently begged, _I know I’ve made a fool of myself, you don’t have to be anymore obvious._

The elevator’s doors smoothly closed and for the first time in what felt like a lifetime, he breathed out in relief.


	2. Chapter 2

The constant beeping of his alarm clock cut through the air suddenly and woke him with a start. His bedroom was bathing in darkness as the sunlight fought against the thick black curtains covering his windows, allowing his eyes to adjust properly. He yawned and put his arms up to stretch, moaning when his muscles relaxed deliciously and when a few joints popped in the process.

To his surprise, it wasn’t raining even though the horizon was covered in thick clouds. A single ray of sunshine caressed the earth and filtered through the glass of his window and he sighed contently. He quickly brushed his teeth and dressed smartly, oddly in a good mood to go to work. As he sipped his steaming tea, he felt himself coming alive at the thought of spending his time along professionals, in a both familiar and alien environment. He finished his cuppa, locked his flat’s door behind him and stepped right into a busy street, the smell of cement and Dallas overwhelming his senses already.

His satchel was weighing down on his shoulder as he made his way through the thick crowd. Jackson Street seemed to never end but he sighed in relief when finally the magnificent One AT&T Plaza building came into view. It took his breath away, once again. He had seen it countless times, long before he learned his internship would take place there; he’d drive by it to Worcester Polytechnic Institute where he had been studying at for the last five years. His whole body buzzed with excitement and he walked through the main door, the smell of clean tiles and lilac waltzing up his nose.

A man with a buzz haircut and clad into tight trousers and a simple white shirt turned his eyes on him the moment he got closer to the same receptionist, Betty, that he had talked to the last time he came here — which was only yesterday, really. He smiled tentatively at the new face and was rewarded with a beaming smile. When he noticed that the man was human, with no cat ears on his head or a long tail above his bottom, he calmed down instantly.

“Mr Styles, right?” The man asked and when Harry nodded, he continued. “I’m Liam Payne, but Liam is fine, and I will be your guide for the entire of your internship and it’s my pleasure to welcome you here at AT&T.”

“Call me Harry please,” he answered. He smiled brightly and shook Liam’s hand twice, shoulders falling down as he looked into the man’s warm brown eyes. There was a welcoming, open expression on his face despite his large biceps and broad shoulders. He looked like he charmed clients during the day and fought people within a boxing ring at night.

Wordlessly, he followed Liam who made his way to an elevator. He felt entirely different compared to yesterday; walking next to someone who knew where to go made him feel more confident and instead of looking down at his feet, he allowed himself to meet a few pair of foreign eyes and nodded his head in greeting when he felt like it was the right thing to do. The seventeenth floor was much different from the reception area and Louis Tomlinson’s office; it was white and grey, somehow quite quaint, but holding a subtle luxury that even he could not ignore. The large tiles were so clean he could see his own reflection staring back at him, the desks were perfectly lined and people were behind them, working away on their sleek computer. The only touch of colour was the green of the few potted plants patiently waiting here and there as life went on around them.

“You’ll spend most of your time on that floor, it’s where we discuss projects, where you’ll find every program to, for instance, simulate how an electrical device will function or to evaluate electrical components. If you have any questions, don’t ever hesitate, this is a learning experience for you after all,” Liam told him as they made their way through a few glossy corridors until a huge room with a large screen. There were people sitting around and working but their brains were too engrossed in the files opened in front of them to pay them attention.

“That’s where we engineers work, and once a week we share our ideas and progressions on that big screen, a bit like a professional meeting but more laid-back. If we are on a project, we shape it up until it’s done and then we take it to the big boss, Mr Tomlinson, so that he can review it and give his approval.”

Hearing Louis’ name alone was enough to make him blush and recall the disaster of yesterday; his cheeks went pink as suddenly he could clearly picture himself dive face first on the ground, right behind Louis himself. As Liam kept talking, he found himself dreaming about beautiful blue eyes and soft-looking hair. His lower belly felt weird when he realized Louis wasn’t far away, that all he had to do to see him again was to jump into an elevator and press for the highest floor. His hand tightened around the strap of his satchel and he shook his head to get his boss out of his mind. _His boss._ Someone he couldn’t lust after. Someone he should impress with his work and skills.

“Anyway lad, tell me more about you,” Liam suggested, one of his hands reaching out to grab a large stack of freshly printed papers waiting next to an impressive printer. Harry pushed his hair back as it had fallen on his forehead and grimaced slightly when sweat made his palm wet. He discreetly wiped it on his thigh, thinking of what was proper and interesting enough to be revealed to his second boss slash teacher.

“My name is Harry Styles and I’ve been studying at Worcester Polytechnic Institute for nearly five years now. I need to complete this internship to graduate. I’m only twenty-five years old so I’m not in any rush to get a job as soon as I have my diploma, but I definitely want to become an engineer in two or three years, tops.”

“What will you do in the meantime, if you don’t mind me asking?” Liam raised a curious eyebrow at him and he chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck.

“I want to travel a bit before settling down.”

Liam hummed and they came to a stop at an empty wooden desk, large and spacious with a comfortable-looking leather chair behind it. It blended in perfectly with the overall decor, though it was most likely due to the fact that all of the desks were exactly the same as this one.

“This is your work place, I hope you like it. See this paper?” Liam pointed to a single sheet lying next to the keyboard. “This is your login information to access your own account with every program needed to do projects, etcetera. I’m kind-of the director here, so my office is in this secluded area over here but don’t be intimidated by it or anything, just come see me whenever you need to, alright?”

“Sure,” Harry smiled softly at him. After a jerk of the head from Liam, he rounded the desk and sat into what was going to be his chair for the next six months. He adjusted it because as he was tall by nature, he was looming over the whole desk which would make him bend his head to look down and that would strain his neck muscles overtime. He let his satchel fall down at his feet and turned on the computer.

His account username was nothing extravagant; a simple _hstyles_ with a password he was able to personalize after logging in for the first time. The computer’s background was a beautiful photo of the sun going down behind tall mountains, its light turning the lawn a rare brown colour as it soaked up its original emerald shade. He played around and opened all the animation softwares, going from Adobe After Effects to Adobe Animate. He had access to files explaining the latest projects of the company in detail, and it was so interesting that he spent two whole hours going through all of them. He learnt the ropes of AT&T’s last year successful project, _AirGig,_ which aimed at bringing super-fast internet to suburban and rural areas. It had been a success with AT&T Labs inventing items that allowed millions of people to gain access to high speed internet.

It was none other than Niall Horan who bounced on his desk and brought him back to earth. He blinked and looked up at the man, slightly puzzled.

“Hey Harry, hope everything’s fine so far? Mr Tomlinson asked me to check up on you, see if you’re comfortable. Did Liam show you around?”

Harry straightened his back and cleared his throat. He was only now realizing how dry his throat was.

“Everything’s perfect. Liam left me to browse through the new computer I was given.”

Niall hummed.

“That’s good mate. I have some stuff to talk to you about, mind joining me on lunch? I already got Louis’ food and we’ve got an hour until we gotta be back here.”

Subtly, Harry glanced at the top right corner of the computer; it read 12:15. He stood up, grabbed his bag and as Niall started to walk to the elevator, he smoothed out the few wrinkles on his shirt before following the hybrid.

The first thing he noticed when he stepped out was how _busy_ the streets were. People after people rushed past him, some to the McDonald’s a few blocks away, some to the chai restaurant he could see from where he stood, and others were making their way through the crowd, probably without any particular place in their mind. They went where the wind carried them. A bit like Niall Horan was doing. The hybrid had a confident aura as he strode across the road, useless sunglasses shielding his eyes from the sun which was still hidden by huge clouds, but instead of looking like a big-headed asshole, he made it work. Eyes were drawn to him and he left a trail of whispers in his wake, and Harry was witnessing it all with a kind of reverence that could probably be read on his face.

Niall grabbed his elbow and they came to a halt in the middle of a large concrete street.

“See that place?” Niall asked while using a finger to point to somewhere in front of them, on the opposite street. Harry squinted his eyes, trying to see what it was that Niall was showing him, though people kept walking in front of the sight and cars kept driving before them.

“Is that… a hairdresser?” he said after he spotted a board with a woman in some kind of unusual haircut, the name _Sally Coiffure_ flashing above her head in a bright yellow colour. It looked like the worst place to go to if you wanted to get a new haircut and come out with your ears still whole.

“Nah, not that, a bit more on the left. There’s this brown quaint door. See it yet?” Harry nodded. “There you go, well behind that door there’s a woman who quite literally does the best tacos in the world.”

Harry smiled, amused. “Best in the world?”

Niall nodded, self-assured, a spark in his blue irises. “Best in the _fucking_ world. C’mon. You’ll thank me later.”

The ‘woman who quite literally does the best tacos in the world’ turned out to be a fifty-something year old skinny woman with a strong Mexican accent. She had kind brown eyes and her hair was pulled into a tight bun. She wore thick American jeans and a black shirt with cowgirl boots at her feet. Behind the discreet door, there was a flight of stairs leading up to an open space with little tables and chairs. It was more like a snack bar than an actual restaurant, and the menu was eighty percent made out of a variety of tacos, with different flavours and toppings.

“Yolanda!” Niall half-shouted, and the woman — Yolanda — appeared behind a quaint wooden counter, a beaming smile on her face.

“Niall, it’s been a while boy!”

They embraced awkwardly, the counter making the process difficult, and once they were done Niall stepped back and looked up at the menu. He pushed his sunglasses up on his head and nodded towards Harry.

“Yolanda, meet my friend Harry Styles. Obviously I had to bring him here, to taste the best tacos known to mankind.”

Yolanda giggled and shook her head fondly, before turning her tender eyes towards Harry. He waved and focused on the black board as well, reading the chalky words and deciding the original tacos would do. Niall went for a much more complex order, but from what he picked out, he wanted his dish particularly spicy.

“You wanna eat on site or takeaway?” she asked while gathering the ingredients needed to cook.

As Niall answered that they would take a table, Harry couldn’t help but say something. “You mean _taco_ -way,” he mumbled, and he scrunched up his nose to hold back his laughter.

He didn’t expect to be heard. But as luck was never on his side, both Niall and Yolanda heard him, and after a second of silence they laughed, Niall’s ears turning red.

“For fuck’s sake, Styles, that was awful, just awful, but bloody brilliant.”

Niall patted him on the back and turned around to sit at a table right underneath a huge tree. Harry joined him, not before giving a lopsided smile to Yolanda, and stretched his long legs out the moment his bottom met the pillow on the chair.

“Alright Harry, I got you here today because I had some stuff to tell you. Nothing bad, I promise, but as you are the first student we welcome for an internship, we kind of feel like giving you more opportunities than expected. Make this experience extra rewarding so that you can expand your knowledge in the field,” Niall explained with his hands intertwined in front of him.

“That’s… really nice. Of course I didn’t think I was going to be a coffee boy or anything like that but I definitely didn’t expect to be given access to so many important things regarding AT&T. It’s refreshing and incredible for me who wish to improve as much as possible,” Harry said with honesty clear in his voice. Judging by Niall’s knowing smile, he understood how grateful Harry was.

Harry had heard from enough fellow students about the pain of finding an internship, and he came to accept that finding a _good_ internship was deemed (almost) impossible. He truly felt like he was given literal gold when his father had approached him about an official letter saying AT&T was willing to open their doors to him. He could still picture Louis’ perfect and elegant signature at the bottom of the document.

They engaged in easy conversations dealing with all kinds of interesting topics, and Harry found out that Niall wasn’t lying when he said Yolanda’s tacos were the best in the world; the moment his plate was placed in front of him, the appealing scent of beef, vegetables and cheese topped with salsa and onions tickled his nostrils in the most incredible way. The first bite was pure bliss and he couldn’t find it in himself to care when sauce dripped down his fingers, making a mess. Niall didn’t even think twice before licking and sucking his digits, mouth full of food.

It was an amazing experience to talk to a hybrid; they were shrewd creatures who knew too much about the world, and that was the reason why they were the leaders. Hybrids were less numerous than human beings but they excelled in every field. And even though they were benevolent, which had made it easier for them to blend in with human’s society, they weren’t gullible; it was difficult to trick a hybrid and it took them less than a century to leave a significant print in history. Harry has always looked up to hybrids with an obvious shyness which translated his respect for them.

The restaurant slowly filled out until a steady background noise could be heard as more and more foreign voices came together in a friendly chaos. Looking around, Harry only spotted five hybrids, all of them surrounded by simple human beings. They all stole the show; there was a kind of beauty about them that couldn’t be found anywhere else. They were elegant and cheerful but also intimidating and fascinating.

Without wanting to his mind flashed back to Louis Tomlinson.

Louis’ skin had been so smooth that all he had wanted to do was to reach out and allow his fingers to caress the curve of his sharp cheekbones. His eyes had been of a bright blue, the type of blue which left you in awe, and not to mention how mesmerising his cat ears and tail had looked; he longed to feel their softness beneath his digits. Everything about Louis screamed delicate.

He closed his eyes and forced his mind to focus on something else. He couldn’t be lusting after his boss and hope for a relationship that would go beyond professionalism because as much as he could picture himself holding Louis down and ravishing his body, Louis Tomlinson was clearly out of his league.

He smiled at Niall and stood up once they both were done, promising himself to make the best out of the internship and avoid Louis as much as possible.


	3. Chapter 3

Three days went by through a mist of coffee fragrance, of cigarette smoke and of endless headaches. Harry found out that working at AT&T consisted of hours upon hours of Liam Payne having breakdowns after breakdowns. It was quite comical to see him walk out of his office, face flushed out of anger because _'w_ _hich one of you bloody idiots forgot to fill in the prices grid?'_. While Liam was excellent at what he did and knew how to lead a large group of people, he still had a terrible temper and more than once Harry caught him with his eyes closed and playing with a stress-reliever spongy red ball.

Though for him, the week flowed as easily as a stream of water at the bottom of a canyon. No one came to bother him and while Niall would sometimes plop down to ask about his day, he was left to do whatever he wanted. He was given tasks to complete and sometimes had to stick with someone to watch them work and learn from them, but overall he found himself enjoying the free rein he was given. He barely heard from Louis, which was to be expected as the man was incredibly busy. And when Liam took a few minutes out of his busy schedule to talk to him, it was always to praise him rather than point out any details he could have missed.

He felt like he was part of it all; part of the company, part of the little community of floor seventeen. His days became less and less dull and he was surprised when one day, he stopped in front of a mirror and saw himself bathing in a healthy glow; he was happy with how much he had learnt and although he loved studying, being able to go to an actual place of work was a nice change of routine. Waking up in the morning wasn’t as much of a pain as it used to be and coming back home after a long day wasn’t as tiring as it often seemed to be. His life was going along a song with more ups than downs.

Things started to change when he looked up on a Saturday evening to a sky full of angry grey clouds spitting buckets of water and blowing strong blasts of wind which seemed to shake the tower. Harry had made a habit of staying past the time he was allowed to retire into his flat since he always had things to finish or perfect. But that night, he was regretting it. The weather has been cloudy but rather nice all day and he didn’t expect it to turn lousy. As he sat in his chair eyeing the dark landscape outside, he pictured himself walking through what looked like the beginning of a storm, and the idea of having ice cold water penetrate his clothes and freeze his bones was enough to have him wonder whether he could sleep under his desk or not.

“Shitty weather, hm?” he heard from behind him which startled him, but a quick look at his right had him known it was only Liam. He smiled weakly and sighed, bringing his hand up to his nose to massage its bridge. Already, the faint headache that had slipped into his brain began to fade away.

“I know you walk to come here… listen, I have to give these to Louis so come with me and afterwards I’ll drop you at yours, ok?”

“I don’t want to bother you-.”

“Nonsense,” Liam cut in, giving him a stern look. “You’ll catch a cold if you walk into this weather which you don’t need right now, I promise it’s no bother for me to take you with me. C’mon, let’s hand these babies over and get the hell out of here.”

Liam waved a few files in the air before turning away and walking to the elevators. Harry flung his satchel over his shoulder and hurried after the man, secretly grateful he wouldn’t have to make a fifteen minute-long journey in this weather where the rain was pouring down in torrents. As the elevator went up and up, he realized he was about to see Louis again after a whole week and he felt himself starting to get nervous. Suddenly, the elevator’s temperature went up to the point he had to unbutton the first two buttons of his shirt. His reflection in the mirrors was gazing back at him with distress clearly written all over its face.

The elevator’s doors opened after a little _ping_ sound was heard, which made his heartbeat pick up its pace, its slippery surface almost knocking against his ribcage. Liam didn’t watch him as he walked out, completely relaxed.

Niall’s desk was empty save for a few pens, an unlit computer and its keyboard. Niall was nowhere in sight and the chandeliers were casting their warm glow upon the room, which made Harry look around, fascinated. As he thought back then, the room was as beautiful in daylight as it was in semi-darkness. It took him a few seconds to realize the usual background music wasn’t playing, and the eerie silence around them did nothing to reassure him that everything would be alright. It didn’t help that the door to Louis’ office was coming nearer and nearer the closer they got to it even if his mind kept begging him to turn around, suck it up, and walk through that nasty weather.

By the time he glanced over his shoulder to calculate the exact amount of time it would take him to sprint to the elevator and get to the main floor before Liam would catch him, it was too late. A voice he had been dreaming about for days pierced through his eardrums like thousands of needles.

“Liam, mate, good to see you,” Louis said, his voice syrupy and soft.

Harry thought about staying out of the office and wait for Liam to finish but the man had other plans; he urged Harry forward with a hand on his elbow.

“I got the files you wanted. I also wanted to ask you about the meeting on Wednesday…”

Liam sat down in one of the chairs in front of Louis’ desk and started to talk. Meanwhile, Harry awkwardly leaned against the wall by the door, his eyes taking in the stunning creature that was Louis Tomlinson. Louis’ fringe fell over his forehead and curled at the end besides his ear. His tie hung loose around his neck, his cufflinks were thrown on the desk haphazardly, and his shirt sleeves were rolled up in a way Harry shouldn’t find attractive. Except everything about Louis Tomlinson was appealing, from the thin hair dusting his jaw and cheeks to the way his eyes were glittering under the light of the desk lamp. He couldn’t figure out why he wanted to grab Louis and kiss him until they were both breathless so bad, but it was becoming almost overwhelming; Louis was the sun and Harry a random planet orbiting around him. He was flooded with the kind of forbidden desire that was so obviously wrong but also so clearly _good,_ in a way that would make anyone weak. 

He was only human after all, and while he was generally great at stifling his feelings, he was becoming more and more confident that Louis might be the one person in the world he could never say no to.

Louis’ voice snapped him back into focus. 

“I can drive him home and then you won’t have to do a detour.”

“Wait, what?” he blurted out, his cheeks warming up when both Louis and Liam looked at him. “Liam, if you can’t take me it’s totally fine. I think the rain’s letting up and I don’t mind getting a bit wet.”

“Nonsense,” Louis scoffed. “You’re coming with me. I can’t risk you falling sick and it’s really no bother. Where do you live?”

He had to clear his throat in order to talk. “Near the Police Memorial. Young Street.”

After that, his mind kind of blanked out — he thought he heard Liam wish them good night before disappearing out of sight. Louis didn’t say much either; he turned off all the lights in his office, filled his pockets with mundane things, and then led the way to an underground parking. It was big and barely lit up as the night had fallen and only a few white light bulbs were there to guide them through the empty area. Their shoes made _click clack_ noises and they echoed around and disturbed the silence. In spite of himself, his eyes followed the curves of Louis’ body, from his shoulders to the fluffy black tail above his round bottom, with slight disbelief.

Louis’ car was a slick black Lexus. The inside was bicolour, a beautiful wedding of black and dark brown, and it smelled of luxurious car deodoriser, a blend of what Harry believed to be the smell of wet lumber sprinkled with lavender oil. There were Hershey’s milk chocolate candy bars thrown on the middle console along with packets of peppermint chewing-gums, a set of keys, an AT&T pen and a few coins waiting to be used.

Silently, Louis put the car in reverse and smoothly drove out of the parking, speeding through the endless curtain of rain. Out of the corners of his eyes, Harry took notice of how comfortable Louis looked in his expensive car. Like this, he was able to enjoy Louis’ perfect profile as the hybrid never once took his eyes off the road. He only had his right hand on the wheel; his other arm was resting on the armrest, body lax. Harry gulped and glanced out of the window, watched as drops of water slid down its surface. The landscape flew by as Louis sped up through the night.

To be honest, if Louis hadn’t been a hybrid with superior reflexes and senses than human beings, Harry would have panicked at how fast they were driving during such awful weather.

With quick fingers, Louis touched the little screen in front of them and put the GPS on. “Go on love, enter your address in. You can’t see a bloody thing in this weather, might as well use this.”

Harry nodded and punched in the address. He hoped he looked put together because he couldn’t deny how his lower belly heated up when Louis called him _love._ Such a common, insignificant word that still made him very flustered. If he weren't so selfish, he would have been more alarmed to feel so strongly about his boss. About someone he could never have. About someone he just met.

“So tell me,” Louis began. “How is it going so far? Do you like it? Is that what you had in mind for your internship? If anything’s wrong, you can tell me and I’ll do my best to solve it.”

Harry was already shaking his head before Louis was done talking. “No, no, everything’s perfect. Liam has been more than helpful and I’ve learnt so much in just a week. I was able to pick up some useful tips along the way and… yeah… I don’t need anything.”

Louis’ lips curled into a soft smile which took Harry's breath away.

“Then that’s good to know. Liam told me how satisfactory your work has been so far. Keep up the good work and I’ll make your time there even better.”

He didn’t know what to make of Louis’ smirk, but he reasoned that the evident mischief dancing in Louis’ blue eyes was only work-related. He rubbed his nose with the back of his hand and went back to looking outside lest he’d start staring at the hybrid like a creep — he didn’t need Louis to think any less of him. Falling face first in Louis’ office had been enough embarrassment for a lifetime and having Louis find out how attracted he was to him would be the final straw; it would be the wind hitting full force a house of cards, making triangular trusses after triangular trusses crumble.

Silence fell upon them once again, only broken once or twice by the GPS’s generic voice telling Louis where to turn to reach Young Street. Absently, Harry made a to-do list in his mind; heat up some leftovers, take a long and steaming shower, have a quick wank, waste some time in watching a few episodes of _Dark,_ a German TV show he has been binge-watching for a few days now. And if he got enough willpower left, maybe he would check out his mailbox before going to bed.

Despite the sky being pitch black and the rain blurring the few things Harry could see, he managed to make out the bottom of his building. He told Louis about it and the hybrid easily parked right in front of its entrance, the car coming to a stop smoothly. They sat there for a moment and neither of them spoke. He kind of wished the radio was on and a random trashy pop song was playing — anything that would fill in the silence or inspire him to say something. Slowly, he reached for his satchel waiting between his feet and pulled it up on his lap. His fingers itched but he couldn’t tell if it were because he wanted to open the door and get out or because he wanted to cover Louis’ hand on the wheel with his own.

“So… see you on Monday?” Louis said, his voice low and soft. Harry just nodded, not knowing what to say.

“Thank you for giving me a ride, Mr Tomlinson,” he managed to get out, pleased to have his voice under control. He threw the door open and stepped out, a few drops of water already sliding down the skin on his face. He tried to shield himself from it with his bag, but the water still slipped through his clothes and over his ringed hands. He knew the humidity would make his hair more curly than usual, make it bush on top of his head in a comical way. He entered the code to unlock the building’s double doors and rushed inside, heart beating fast.

Louis’ gentle voice whispering _‘you’re welcome’_ echoed in his mind until he went to sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

_Harry couldn’t quite believe his eyes. In a room full of suits and skirts, full of prominent people with bank accounts the weight of the world, he only had eyes for Louis. The expensive fabric of his suit kissed the curves of his body perfectly. His hair was barely styled, strand of it falling in his eyes and grazing the bare base of his neck. He was holding a flute of champagne, mouth open in a laugh that Harry couldn’t hear from where he stood on the other side of the room. He was far away, way too far away, and he was dying to come closer until the sweet scent of the hybrid would go up his nostrils._

_He walked and walked until his arm caressed Louis’ back, until he was sure Louis knew where he was. Where he was headed._

_He made his way through corridors until the restroom. It was spotless, one of the perks of hosting a party in Los Angeles’ most renowned hotel. A fragrance of patchouli persisted in the air. He went to the sink, washed his hands, took a small towel to dry them off and threw it in the linen basket. And he waited._

_The door opened and Louis stepped in, cheeks already flushed._

_Harry didn’t waste time; he spun around and wrapped his arms around Louis’ tiny waist, leaning down to kiss him. It was a soft, lingering kiss; the press of their lips was gentle as it conveyed the need gushing from their body language. Through his long and thick eyelashes, Louis looked up at him, desire swirling in his blue irises. He went on his tip-toes and licked Harry’s slightly opened lips with his warm, teasing tongue. Louis’ hand caressed Harry’s chest and went down until it was able to cup Harry’s hard-on, his facial expression turning from needy to hungry in a second._

_With a smirk, Louis sunk to his knees, black tail waggling excitedly behind him._

—

It was always fascinating to walk through the morning rush. The city was more awake than ever then, with cars driving by in a blur and people coming and going in quick footsteps. Usually, Harry was able to focus on a lot of details, like how one of the billboards went from advertising a new shampoo to showing posters of the latest movies to come out through the week. He also knew that the hot dog stand around the street corner had a long queue at around nine in the morning, everyday. 

The point is that Harry seldom lost focus. He was way too familiar with the city which had taken a perpetual place in his brain. But today, everything seemed different. He walked to the Whitacre Tower in a haze, palms sweaty around the strap of his satchel.

Having wet dreams about his boss was exactly what he had been dreading ever since he had stepped into Louis’ office for the first time. It was as if a barrier fell down inside of him, as if he couldn’t step back now that he was hyper aware of how much he wanted Louis. It was one thing to find his superior attractive and it was another to be attracted to them to the point that he woke up one morning, boxer damp and sticky, body flushed and sweaty.

Harry was _mortified._ And he had a headache from overthinking.

He went to his desk with shaky legs and sat down with a relieved sigh. The soft leather cushioned his body in a pleasant way and he allowed himself to relax, just for a second. He only had two minutes of peace before Liam Payne walked out of his office, chin held high, an enigmatic smile on his face. Harry prayed Liam was going to walk past his desk and to someone else because he wanted a day to himself where he could merge into the mountain of work he had to do and forget about the morning.

But of course, it was right in front of him that Liam stopped.

“Good morning, Harry. How are you doing?” Liam asked, voice a little too joyful for eight in the morning.

“I’m alright, thank you. What about you? You sound… overjoyed,” he tried to smile but he was positive it came out a grimace.

“Honestly? I feel more than fine. Listen, in one hour top we will have some important people coming over here. Like, the big fucking deal. Mr Tomlinson will give a speech about our latest project and I’d like for you to come because I believe this will be a learning experience for you. What do you say?”

Too caught up into his inner struggle, Harry didn’t realise how everybody around him was in a frenzy, with people whispering to each other and grinning. The air was _buzzing_ with excitement. 

For a moment, Harry sat fish-mouthing, quite unable to believe that he was asked to attend a conference. A small conference with important people. A small conference with people as important as Louis. Numbly, he nodded, and thankfully Liam smiled softly at him as if he understood how he felt.

Time seemed to run and twenty minutes before the meeting, Liam came back to fetch him. They walked through the building to a large room with at least a hundred chairs and a raised platform at the front with a podium waiting patiently on it. The room was bright as three out of four walls were made of glass. People were already seated and he spotted a few photographers in the back. The proper word to describe it all would be _impressive._ He couldn’t imagine himself up here speaking to so many renowned people.

Liam shook hands as he walked through the steady stream of people and in no time at all, the room was full. He was led to a chair off the rows, on the right of the platform where he had a perfect view of the depth of the room and most importantly, of Louis.

The moment Louis strode into the room, it fell quiet. He walked with so much confidence that it left Harry a bit baffled; he was so clumsy by nature he was positive he’d have tripped over air at this point. But Louis, dressed in an expensive-looking tailored black suit with a red tie, marched to the podium with a smile curling at the end of his lips, as if he knew the effect he had on every single human being and hybrid in this room. When he took his place behind the podium, a round of applause suddenly was heard. When it died down, Louis began to talk.

“Welcome and thank you for coming today,” Louis’ voice echoed around the room, magnified thanks to the microphone. “I think that every single person in this room know about artificial intelligence. AI is becoming an important part of our daily life, in social as well as in the business environment. The goal of this progress is to reduce human effort in sectors such as the military or healthcare. AT&T has been for years now involved in the making and development of artificial intelligence as we believe in a better and more evolved world. We are fortunate to live in this generation, which is full of technology advancements. Machines and softwares have overtaken the world both economically and socially and the science of computers and machines aims at developing a kind of intelligence not unlike human’s intelligence so as to make life much easier by doing some of the simple and complex tasks that we, human beings, don’t necessarily have to keep doing.”

Louis stopped, eyes swiping over the crowd. From where he stood he could probably see how everyone was holding on to his words, lullabied by his soft and melodious voice.

“Getting the work done faster with more accurate results is something that we _all_ should benefit from. And yet, a lot of people out there still don’t have access to this possibility. And that’s why AT&T designed and built an open source artificial intelligence platform, in collaboration with Tech Mahindra. Please, meet _Acumos._ ”

Behind him, a large screen lit up and the logo of _Acumos_ appeared. Liam seemed to materialize from behind Louis and he started to speak.

“ _Acumos_ includes reusable, crowd-source microservices creating an ecosystem that expedites collaboration and innovation. It supports multiple existing artificial intelligence tools and solutions and it can chain multiple microservices together to form applications and run them on any cloud. Through _Acumos,_ artificial intelligence becomes more accessible.”

The more Liam talked, the less Harry focused — how could he? Louis was glowing without even trying, his black and white ears softly moving from time to time, his tail doing the same. From where he was, Harry could enjoy Louis’ perfect profile, his rosy lips, his tiny button nose, his large blue eyes. He looked so much younger than twenty-nine years old, he looked innocent and yet he was the exact opposite; he was a successful CEO who had to make difficult, risky decisions, who had to set the example and inspire the company’s staff, customers and investors. Louis was known for being able to find the weak spots of his opponents and use them against them. He had worked hard to make the company flourish and grow in only five years.

Louis turned his head towards him and their eyes met. A spark of electricity went through his body, as cliché as that sounded, but he couldn’t help it that he wanted to grab Louis and bend him over a desk. Or trap him against one of the floor-to-ceiling windows, to take him and claim him, without caring about who could see them from below.

Harry felt his cheeks heat up and he glanced away. He fisted his pants, upset. First, he was having wet dreams, now he was daydreaming about Louis in a way he absolutely shouldn’t. For the first time in his life, he wasn’t in control of his mind nor was he in control of his desires and that made him scared. He didn’t want to spend the next few months lusting after his superior.

It was easy to fall in love. Harry knew it. He also knew it was easier to get your heart broken and he witnessed that too many time around him to be positive that he didn’t want to feel that way, ever. 

For the rest of the conference, he made sure to avoid looking directly at Louis and when it was over, he stood up and tried to blend in with the wall. He leaned against it, crossed his arms over his chest and watched as people chatted. He saw Louis and Liam make their way through the crowd and they were probably stuck talking with potential donors. Harry was relieved. Everybody wanted to shake hands with one of the United States’ most eligible hybrid bachelors.

Slowly, people started to go and at one point Harry decided to slip through the door as well. There was one restroom on this floor but he knew it would be full, so he went to the elevator, pressed to a floor down and fully relaxed when the doors closed. He stepped out and made a beeline for the silver door at the end of the left corridor. He smiled politely to the few people he met on his way and the moment he was within the restroom’s four walls, he sighed in relief. Luckily he was alone.

The restrooms at the Whitacre Tower were, to put it simply, amazing. He didn’t think he’d find such a place calming, but it happened to be when the room was in a warm colour scheme of beige and light brown and when there was a faint smell of lavender in the air. The light was even tainted yellow and didn’t hurt his eyes. He walked to the sink, washed his hands and dried them with a handful of disposable cloth-feel tissue papers. He threw them in the dustbin.

He wanted Louis, he couldn’t deny it. But usually when he wanted someone, he had them. He was a rather attractive man, with curly hair and bright green eyes. He was charming and people often told him his clumsiness made him all the more adorable. He knew that if he tried hard enough, he could probably charm Louis. But he _couldn’t._

He groaned. And almost had a heart attack when an amused voice came from behind him.

“Was the conference so dull you had to hide away in there?”

Harry whirled around and stared at Louis’ sweet face. The blue-eyed man's lips were shaped into a teasing smile. He looked put together, with his hands in his dress pants’ pockets and his usual aura of dominance surrounding him. Harry forced a smile on his face and leaned against the marble counter. He crossed his arms over his chest, again, because he didn’t know what else to do with them.

“No, not dull. Intense, I’d say,” he shrugged, trying to come off as laid back.

“Intense…” Louis repeated as if he were tasting the word. “I hope it was useful to you then. Liam thought it’d be a great idea to bring you along.”

Harry perked up at the mention of Liam. “More than useful, to be honest. It’s amazing that you offer ways to extend AI to parts of the world that still don’t have access to it,” he said honestly. For a few seconds, he was sure he saw Louis’ eyes light up with something akin to pride, or maybe happiness, but he wasn’t sure when moments later Louis’ smoothed out his expression into a neutral one.

The hybrid walked closer to him until they stood next to each other. As Louis was a few inches shorter than him, Harry had to look down. Up close, Louis’ eyes were bluer than he thought. There were a few freckles on his cheeks and nose and since had Louis shaved for the conference, they were even more prominent. Harry wanted to run his tongue along Louis’ throat and cup his face.

Maybe it was him who bent down or Louis who leaned forward, but they ended up so close that Harry felt Louis’ breathe on his lips. _Stop me,_ he silently begged, but Louis didn’t do anything. He kept looking at Harry as if he were daring the curly-haired man to _fucking do it._ Time stilled and to Harry, only Louis mattered then.

There were noises outside. Louis blinked and stepped back just as the door was thrown open and two men strolled in, laughing obnoxiously loud. Harry’s heart almost stopped right there and in his haste to put some distance between him and Louis, he collided with one of the men, almost sending them both on the ground.

“Fuck, sorry man,” he blurted out.

Harry saw Louis walk out. He didn’t go after him.


	5. Chapter 5

Harry was avoiding Louis like the plague. But it seemed that wherever he went, their paths crossed; in the elevators, in the corridors, even in Liam’s office that he often had to visit to ask questions or present what he had made so far.

He shouldn’t have been surprised when he met Louis once again but this time it was in the cafeteria. He knew it was an awful thing to say, but for a CEO, he expected Louis to have someone fetch him tea or coffee. As it turned out, Louis liked to do things on his own. Unwillingly, Harry walked to the coffee machine and after adding a teaspoon of brown sugar to the cup, he watched as a thin stream of black liquid started to gather at its bottom. The tension in the air was such that he could taste it.

“Well, hello to you too, Styles,” Louis muttered and in an instant, white hot rage blossomed in Harry, like wildfire.

“Louis,” he said, voice cold, as he gripped the edge of the wooden counter, trying and most likely failing to get his anger under control.

Silence fell over them once again but this time Harry could feel Louis’ eyes burning holes in his back. It wasn’t his fault Louis didn’t understand how frustrated he was and he _tried,_ he really did, he tried everything to smother his envy but he was bound to fail if Louis kept making things difficult

He grabbed the steaming cup of coffee, nodded once at Louis and stormed out of the room. It was only once he was at his desk that he realized the way he had acted hadn’t been the most respectful; and Louis remained his boss. _Fuck._ He closed his eyes and sent a prayer to whoever was listening. _Please, don’t make Louis fire me._ Can Louis even fire him? Technically, he wasn’t officially working for the company, he was just a student trying to make it through a full internship. _Well,_ Harry thought, despair written all over his face, _hopefully Louis won’t screw me over._ He was suddenly overwhelmed with fear, because Louis totally had the power to reduce him to _nothing._

The next few days were quiet; he didn’t see Louis anymore and the few times their path crossed, either Harry ducked out or Louis disappeared through a random door. They were ignoring each other, _like two fucking children,_ he thought bitterly. He sighed and adjusted his tie, using his black computer screen. He walked to the elevator closest to him and went down to the reception area. Betty looked up when he marched to the entrance and she sent him a tired smile. He smiled back, sympathising with her; it must be a pain to stay up all day to take calls and receive people.

When he stepped out, a soft breeze instantly ruffled his hair. It went underneath his suit pleasantly and for a moment, he closed his eyes. The air smelled damp, a telltale sign that it had rained earlier. He gripped his satchel’s stripe tighter and set off for his flat. It was already dark and only the street lamps allowed him to see where he was going. In the distance, there were mysterious noises going from the barks of dogs to the chirps of crickets. There were laughters mixed up with fading conversations around the street corners, near the nightclubs.

The silence was disturbed by a loud noise, one he knew came from a car’s engine. Said car drove past him and then slowed down so that it was driving to the pace he was going. He frowned, dread filling him but not because he was afraid of being kidnapped tonight but because he could recognise the brand of said car anywhere.

The window was rolled down and Louis, as handsome as ever, looked at him with a sly smile. The sight of Louis’ face partially illuminated by the street-lamps and the radio screen’s glow made him want to jump into the passenger seat and kiss the hybrid until they were both breathless.

“Harry,” Louis greeted. Harry hated himself for thinking that Louis’ voice sounded beautiful saying his name. “I can drive you home.”

“That won’t be necessary, thank you,” he answered, hoping Louis wasn’t going to insist.

“Please, Harry. It’s dangerous to walk alone so late in the night.”

Harry pursed his lips. “I can manage.”

At that, Louis rolled his eyes so hard Harry was scared they would end up stuck.

“You are the most frustrating human being known to mankind,” Louis sighed, but there was an edge to his voice; it sounded like fondness. Harry’s cheeks heated up.

“I best get going,” Harry whispered and he picked up his pace, not caring whether Louis had heard him or not.

“What should I do to convince you to join me? Look, I’m not doubting your ability to make it through the night alive, but it's a fifteen minute long walk from there to your apartment and I’ve got a nice car. It would please me to take you. You don’t live too far away from me.”

Harry sucked in a breath and knew he was going to give in. Not only it would be disrespectful to keep refusing Louis’ offer but it would also be wrong to act like this with _his boss._ He definitely didn’t want to jump into a car with Louis by his side, but that was not due to his not liking Louis — on the contrary, he didn’t bear any grudge against him. How could he? Louis was sweet and stunning, he had been so welcoming since the beginning. He just didn’t trust himself to be in the company with the subject of his wet dreams.

Harry opened the door and slid into the passenger seat, heart beating way too fast. Instantly, Louis’ cologne tickled his nostrils, making his insides turn into jelly. The interior hadn't changed much since the first time he was in the car, but there were a few more candy bars here and there. He wanted to smile, endeared, and maybe ask Louis about them; but he kept himself from doing so. With one last glance at him, Louis stomped on the gas pedal, sending the car forward and having it cut through the night in pleasant silence. Adrenaline cursed through Harry’s veins and despite the fact that Louis was driving thirty kilometres above the speed limit, he relaxed.

“Is that a hybrid thing? To drive fast?” He asked without thinking twice. In the corner of his eye he saw Louis smirk.

“Well, not particularly. But I thrive on speed, I guess.”

Harry raised a disbelief eyebrow, leaned over to glance at the speed count and looked at Louis as if he were crazy.

“Alright,” Louis chuckled. “I totally thrive on speed.”

“I never particularly enjoyed driving. I mean, I prefer walking to driving,” Harry admitted, shrugging. He was good at the theory but he had to pass the practical test twice insofar as he was too frightened to drive properly. His driver's license was somewhere in his apartment and he hadn’t carried it on him in quite a long time, which was reassuring. He avoided driving as much as possible.

“I could be your driver,” Louis suggested with a cheeky smile. Harry laughed, eyes wide; _the_ Louis Tomlinson driving _him_ around. It should be the other way round.

“I don’t think that would be appropriate,” he answered, hoping his voice was teasing enough and not translating how he really felt.

“No, it wouldn’t,” Louis finally said, voice soft.

Harry knew that Louis finally remembered who he was; a simple undergraduate. Trying to mask the disappointment on his face, he glanced out of the window and watched the landscape fly by in a blur. When they both forgot who they were to each other, they got along quite well; Harry could even picture Louis as a friend. Except they _weren’t,_ not when he needed Louis to finish his study and not when he wanted to kiss Louis until his lips turned a violent shade of dark pink.

The windows were open and Harry gulped great lungfuls of cold night air. His tensed shoulders dropped and he closed his eyes as a soft breeze caressed his skin and made his hair fly everywhere. They were approaching his building and as last time, Louis parked right in front of its entrance. Harry passed one hand through his messy hair.

“Thank you for the ride. This shouldn’t become a routine, I don’t want to bother you every night.”

“It’s no bother, trust me,” Louis said with a laugh. Because of the wind, his hair seemed fluffier than usual and his fringe was half falling into his eyes. Harry wanted to reach out and push its end behind Louis’ ear. Instead, he took his satchel, threw the door open and stepped out, swallowing down the lump in his throat. He didn’t know why but he wanted to get as far away as possible.

He was ashamed when the first thing he did when he walked into his bedroom was to thrust one of his hands down his boxer.

—

It became a thing afterwards. Every-night, Harry would step out of the Whitacre Tower, Louis would drive past him, slow down and Harry would get in wordlessly. And each time, when they had to part ways in front of Harry’s building, it would reinforce something between them. Louis didn’t just tell him _goodnight,_ he would say it after having touched the back of Harry’s hand, or after sending him one of his heated looks that made him blush. They seldom saw each other during the day but being five minutes in a car everyday after work was more than enough to make Harry yearn more and more for Louis’ presence.

He had discovered a new side of Louis; he was more than just a successful, unreachable CEO. Louis laughed at his lame jokes, was always up for conversations, cared about him and what he said. He was patient, let Harry rant about his day and made sure to let him know he was paying attention by humming and adding one or two of his clever comments.

In the meantime, he grew closer to Liam and Niall. Both seemed to enjoy his company, for whatever reason, so sometimes he would get lunch with Niall or end up in Liam’s office, chatting away about computer programmes or the latest technology jewel.

He splashed his face with icy water and looked up at his reflection in the mirror of the restroom. He noticed his hair was starting to get quite long, covering his neck and framing his face in nice, bouncy curls. He stepped out of the room and into the large corridor, smiling to a few of his co-workers, before walking to his desk. He was surprised when he found a piece of folded paper haphazardly thrown next to his keyboard and he picked it up gently, smoothing out the wrinkles. He recognized Niall’s handwriting and was momentarily confused as to why Niall didn’t come down to talk to him like he usually did.

_17:15. Meet me up mate please. Gotta talk to ya._

Three minutes before he was supposed to meet Niall, he jumped into an elevator and pressed the button to the highest floor. He didn’t come up there as often as he would like so he was excited when he spotted Niall’s brown hair behind his pristine white desk.

“Niall,” he said, leaning his elbows on the counter separating him from the hybrid, who jumped upon hearing his voice.

“Jesus, warn a guy…,” Niall chuckled, putting down his fountain pen.

“Don’t tell me you’ve already forgotten the little note you left me,” he said, raising an eyebrow.

Niall shook his head, an amused expression on his face. “You wound me, young Harold. Had you known anything about me, you wouldn’t have doubted my extraordinary memory. Anyway, yes, I called you up to talk. I couldn’t come see you because I needed this to be private and I got Louis’ schedule to update which will take me _forever_ if I don’t begin right now.”

Harry hummed and watched as Niall opened up a colourful and full Microsoft Excel board. He deleted a few things and added some more, shifted the colours, and kept doing so for each day of the next three weeks.

“I wanted to talk to you about something that I don’t typically talk about with anybody. Wait, hold on,” Niall rolled his eyes, for what, Harry didn’t know. “I’m making this sound so fucking dramatic, it’s just a lad night we have sometimes when we’ve got some time. We go out at _Ombré,_ get smashed, have some fun. We’d love for you to come.”

Harry blinked, taken aback. “I’d love to come,” he finally said, and a genuine smile appeared on his face. “When is it?”

“This Sunday night. You’ll never regret coming, drunk Liam is the funniest shit. Write down your number, I’ll text you and you’ll tell me your address.”

After scribbling down his number, Harry made his way back to his desk, mind racing. It wasn’t too weird to go out with Niall and Liam who were technically his superiors, right? He sighed and tried to reassure himself; it was just a night out with two normal lads in a normal bar in Texas. Even as he sat down behind his computer and started to work again, he kept feeling that little nag of doubt in his heart.


	6. Chapter 6

There was the smell of mist in the air when Harry stepped out of the Whitacre Tower. His back was hurting after spending the day typing out reports and going back and forth into Liam’s office. Liam, who kept reminding him that they were to go out tomorrow night. He made it to his flat on his own as Louis had a late night meeting, which was a blessing. Walking allowed him to clear his mind. He loved being with Louis but sometimes he needed to distance himself so as to not forget that Louis was not just a friend to him.

The next day, the warm air of Texas filtered through him in a pattern that helped him relax. There were more people than usual outside in the streets, dressed up and laughing, trying to enjoy their Sunday night as best as possible. Upon seeing them, Harry felt the need to go out as well and to let loose.

He put on a red satin shirt which he tugged in the tightest pair of skinny jeans he owned. He found in the back of his walk-in closet, black leather boots that had cost him a fortune but were gorgeous; there was a chunky gold-toned chain with Horsebit details on each shoe, the chain catching the light beautifully. The word _kitten_ was spiked at the heel, ironically. They were comfortable, hugging his feet perfectly and sophisticated enough to compliment his outfit like a cherry on top of a cake. Frankly, he didn’t look like an undergraduate student but like a man in his mid-twenties wanting to pull.

Actually, he did want to pull. He wanted to find someone to spend the night with and to forget about the morning after. At least, it might help him calm down about Louis, at least he hoped it would. As much as he tried not to think about the hybrid, sometimes he’d catch himself positively _dreaming_ about how soft Louis’ skin seemed to be and how kissable his lips looked as they glimmered with remaining of saliva.

Taking a deep breathe, Harry took his phone out of his satchel and searched for Niall in his contact. Teasingly, he had dubbed the lad _Ireland_ as Niall’s cat ears and tail were of a beige colour and he had the tendency to slip Irish slangs in his sentences as he talked ( _“you won’t believe how fucking banjaxed I am, mate, and it’s only ten in the morning”_ ). He opened a new message and sent his address, smiling when a few seconds later a little bubble appeared to let him know that Niall was already typing out.

 **From Ireland:** _gon be there in five minutes, u can wait in front of your building already. Liam’s driving and he’s a fucking madman behind the wheel, I’m telling you, he’s worse than Louis. God bless Louis ain’t the one driving, last time I thought my heart flew outta my arse._

Harry laughed and went to walk out of his flat and out of the building. It was much colder now, the black sky stuffed with thick clouds that blocked his eyes from the stars above. He shivered but didn’t regret not bringing a coat with him; if he was going clubbing, he would end up sweaty anyway and many times before he would go home without his jacket because he was too drunk to remember it. He rubbed his arms to warm his skin up, the satin fabric caressing his body in the process. When he looked down, the soft breeze pushed the shirt against his chest and his perky nipples were obvious, standing tall and pushing against the fabric. He blushed and tried to sooth them out by pressing down on them with his thumbs, but it barely worked.

In the distance, a bright light cast its glow over the street and illuminated him momentarily. A red Land Rover came to a stop in front of him, pop music crooning and coming out of the opened windows. Niall, with _sunglasses,_ popped his head out and smiled widely at him.

“Styles,” he whistled and Harry could _hear_ his voice _smirk,_ as if it were possible. “Going to pull tonight?”

Harry snorted. “Maybe,” he answered coyly.

Niall’s laugher cut through the night like thunder. Harry jumped in the backseat and the moment he closed the door, the car was put into reverse and in a matter of seconds, they were chasing the moon.

“Hello Harry, I promise I’m a good driver,” Liam said in lieu of greeting and when Harry leaned forward, he saw the man holding the wheel with one hand, the other holding his phone. To his horror, Harry realized Liam was driving way over the speed limit and _texting_ someone, his eyes going back and forth between the phone and the road.

Internally, Harry was screaming.

“Liam, darling,” Niall began. “Don’t you want _me,_ the one who isn't driving, to text for you? I’ve pictured my death in many ways before but dying in a car accident near McDonald’s was definitely not in my top ten.”

“Relax,” Liam drawled out, turning off his phone and throwing it on Niall’s lap. “I’ve got this.”

Harry didn’t miss the perplexed look Niall threw Liam’s way.

 _Ombré,_ Harry found out, was a lovely club with its outside bathing in shades of blue. There was a huge, kind-looking bouncer waiting next to the door and supervising a rather small queue. The club was a bit far away compared to the city heart which explained why he hadn’t seen it before. It was also discreet and plain looking.

Niall was the first one to get out of the car the moment it parked a few meters away from the club.

 _"Bastet,"_ he hissed. “I’m calling a cab to go back home.”

Liam joined them with a grimace on his face, eyes filled with frustration. But instead of commenting on Niall’s dramatic behaviour, he made a beeline for the bouncer whose face seemed to clear once he spotted Liam.

“Blake,” Liam acknowledged. “Those two are with me.”

The bouncer, Blake, nodded. “Go on,” he moved his head towards the thick dark blue velvet curtain that he was holding back, motioning for them to go through it. As Harry stepped past the curtain, feeling it caress his back as Blake let it go, he was met with a black corridor faintly lit up, just enough for him not to run into a wall. The back of Niall’s head was what he focused on.

The more they walked, the louder the music got. Liam pushed aside another curtain and thousand of lights exploded before his eyes, mixing together in a harmony he didn’t know possible. The first thing he noticed when he fully entered the room, was that it was _big._ And that it smelled of money. As opposed to the popular clubs he was used to, this one smelled good; it didn’t hold the stench of smoke, alcohol and body odours. No, there was a fragrance he couldn’t describe which caressed his nostrils and made him relax. Even the music wasn’t ostentatious, going around as if it were a dream. He was impressed by everything around him and he wanted even more to lose himself to the rhythm and disappear between foreign bodies.

“C’mon,” Niall yelled over the music and Harry followed him.

The bar was literally a Garden of Eden, flowing with all kinds of alcohol he could ever imagine. Bottles of champagne lined the wall and a rich smell of sugar and booze came from the counter. The barmen were actively working, shaking cocktail liquids all the while chatting with the few people already seated on the high bar stools. Harry glanced at the menu, which was encrusted, and nearly passed out at the price of a single glass of liquor. Niall came up behind him, glanced at what he was looking, and crackled.

“Don’t worry, it's all on Louis,” Niall told him, patting his back and calling a barman.

Harry’s brain kind of short circuited at that. He glanced over his shoulders, searching for particular black and white cat ears, but there were too many people for him to make out anything.

“Hey lad, can I get you anything?”

Harry whirled around and came face to face with an attractive hybrid. The woman had little white ears hidden among her long blonde curls. She had a kind smile on her face, bright red lipstick enhancing the shape of her lips.

Harry cleared his throat. “May I have a Fireside Cocktail, please?”

She nodded and prepared his drink with quick, precise movements. He saw her pour two teaspoons of maple syrup in a gorgeous glass, add a pinch of salt, crush a few sprigs of fresh rosemary, fill the glass with ice, put a great amount of Grey Goose vodka and mix it all up with fresh pink grapefruit juice. In a flourish, she slid the glass across the counter without spilling a single drop, and winked at him before moving on to the next customer.

Harry really fucking loved that club.

The Fireside was delicious, perfectly balanced in its quantity and flavour, and he _sipped_ it to enjoy it as much as possible. He caught Liam talking with a stranger and saw Niall making his way over to him.

“You coming? We’re going to our table, it’ll be easier to talk and comfier.”

Harry nodded and walked next to Niall to a little flight of stairs that led to a kind of first floor. The ground was covered by a thick velvet carpet. There were individual tables, big enough for at least five people, scattered everywhere and far away enough from one another to allow a semblance of privacy. The low balcony allowed them to lean over it and gaze down at the crowd on the dance floor.

Liam and Niall were ahead of him so he had to walk faster to keep up with them. By then, one third of his drink was gone and he wondered whether he should have taken two glasses instead of one as he didn’t fancy going back all the way down to the bar. But his thoughts were cut short when the smell of cigarette breached his nostrils and when the ghost of white smoke haunted him, attacking his face. He tried to fan it away with his hand but it didn’t work as much as he expected and, not wanting to look like an idiot, he lowered his arm back at his side and properly focused on the table before him.

Blue eyes. Blue eyes, bathing in the semi-darkness of the room and glittering under the faint light, were stuck on him. He almost fell backward on his arse, not prepared to see Louis Tomlinson, in all his glory, sitting comfortably on the cushioned sofa with a cigarette stuck between his delicate fingers.

“And who’s your friend?”

Niall’s hand came back hard on his back, startling him so much that he thought he could have jumped high enough to touch the ceiling. He turned his eyes on the other man sitting on the opposite end of the sofa and he was positive he had seen him before.

“That’s our lad, Harry. The one for the internship, met him on his interview day, remember?”

 _Zayn._ Harry remembered him. He was the gorgeous hybrid who came out of Louis’ office and winked at a flustered Niall. Zayn reached out with one hand and Harry did the same to shake it, but Zayn did it in a way Harry was sure was meant to be intimidating on the hybrid's part. Zayn, who was watching him with a kind of intensity Harry wasn’t quite sure he understood.

“I see,” was all he said.

“Yeah well, move over,” Niall said, rolling his eyes and waving his hand to tell Zayn to slide in the middle. Harry kind of wanted to laugh.

The sofa was curved around a round table so that he was on the far end of one corner and Louis was on the opposite end. They were facing each other. Butterflies exploded in Harry’s belly, which confused him. He gulped down the other half of his drink, appreciating the burn the vodka provided as it slid down his throat.

“Fancy seeing you there,” Louis straight up told him, head tilted on the side. He brought the cigarette to his lips, wrapped them around the end of the stick and hollowed his cheeks to suck in the burning smoke. Harry’s hand tightened around his glass.

“Likewise. How have you been? Heard you had a late night meeting, did it go well?”

“Quite alright,” Louis answered, a smile blessing his lips. “I managed to get a successful Chinese entrepreneur into commercializing our latest product.”

Harry raised an eyebrow. “That’s great, Lou.”

He cringed as the nickname slipped past his lips before his brain could filter it. Louis’ face cleared and a softer smile overtook his features and Harry felt his cheeks heat up under Louis’ gentle look.

 _"Right,"_ Niall said, drawing everybody’s attention to him. “Our lad Harry has been with us for nearly a month and a half, so let’s toast to him.”

Harry smiled delightedly and raised his glass.

“To the least annoying student I’ve ever encountered in my life,” Niall jokingly said and their glasses met in a loud noise. Harry emptied his drink and in the blink of an eye, a man clad in fitted pants and a black shirt appeared, a small notebook in his hands.

“Can I get you anything else?”

Harry _fucking_ loved this club.

As the night progressed, Niall and Liam disappeared, Zayn was the only one who remained sober, stopping after two drinks and Louis drank enough to knock out a bull. His eyes were glassy, his cheeks were rosy and he was suspiciously _silent._ Right now, Louis wasn’t talking, or laughing, or teasing or humming; Louis was there, sitting with a glass of booze in his hand, eyes hooded and cheeks flushed. And sometimes, he would look at Harry, pain twisting the depth of his irises.

Whenever Harry saw it, saw the pain, he wanted to reach out and press Louis against his chest.

Except in the blink of an eye, Louis was gone. His body disappeared into the throng of people and Harry was left with Zayn. The hybrid didn’t really talk to him, instead preferring to keep an eye out and sip a tall glass of water. And Harry didn’t mind.

The night turned out completely different from what he had expected; the people dancing against one another didn’t entice him so that he kept to himself and didn’t try to merge into the mass and lose himself to a delusional, yet incredible happiness. He didn’t even _try_ to find someone to comfort him tonight, to keep his bed warm, to overshadow his thoughts and desires about Louis. There, in the comfy booth, he stayed on his own, a silent hybrid not far away from him and he positively brooded over his need to find Louis and take him home. Usually, twenty minutes in a club and he was sweating, hard, horny and looking to worship someone else, a random person on the planet which happened to be there with him to act as some sort of drug.

He threw back a shot and his head spun for a moment, but he was still sober enough to walk like any normal person would. He spotted Niall dancing with a tall man not far away from the bar and Liam disappearing through a backdoor that he knew could only be the restroom.

 _Yeah,_ he thought, _some people are having fun, unlike you._ His conscience was mocking him and he could see why.

“I’m off. Are you fine by yourself?” he asked Zayn, who focused his bored eyes on him. He smirked

“Why wouldn’t I be?” but before Harry could answer, he was talking again. “Don’t worry, go have fun. I’m the one driving those fools home. If you plan on getting anymore drunk, you can give me your address right now so I’ll be able to drop you off too.”

Harry shook his head. “No, I won’t get drunk to the point I can’t differentiate my left to my right. I’ll call a cab to get home.”

Zayn nodded at him and he turned around, marching to the stairs and descending them hurriedly. He scanned the crowd, half to see if he could find anyone to his fancy and half to find Louis and make sure the hybrid was alright. Which was absurd because Louis was an independent hybrid perfectly capable of taking care of himself. And yet, as Harry told himself that again and again, he couldn’t help wondering about the man.

The club still smelled of that weird fragrance which seemed to pour out of the walls but now, as he walked closer to the dance-floor, his nostrils picked up the faint smell of sweat and alcohol. It was subtle though, unable to win the fight with the club’s perfume, but it was still there and urged him to start dancing to the rhythm of the song. This, the miasma of arousal and sweetened cocktails, was familiar and acted as a spur on him. A remix of _Le Freak_ blasted through the music speakers and he lost himself to it. He felt arms around his waist, legs against his own, hair under his nose as someone pressed its back against his front. It was bliss.

He felt fur under his jaw, tickling his skin pleasantly and he pressed his face on top of the stranger’s hair. That hair smelled good, he noticed, maybe coconut, he wasn’t sure. Arms were clasped around his neck, pulling him down. He danced against whoever that was, let his own arms creep up around the thin waist. The song changed to a slow one and the movements of his body against that person in front of him became languid, yearning. He opened his eyes and glanced down, and through the neon lights on the ceiling he saw an adorable nose, an attractive cupid bow, lips he guessed to be raw-bitten and red and long, long eyelashes. 

His breath hitched.

“Louis,” he whispered, voice soft and breathless. Louis blinked up at him, blue eyes as clear as a cloudless sky.

Louis didn’t say anything; instead, he tried to get closer to Harry, as if it were possible, as if his body weren't already being one with Harry’s. And Harry held Louis there, cupped the back of Louis’ head with one of his large hands and caressed the soft hair until his thumb touched the base of one of Louis’ cat ears. The hybrid _purred,_ actually purred, and rubbed his nose against Harry’s chest. He was seeking comfort and he found it in Harry’s familiar cologne and natural body odour.

Harry should push him away. But he couldn’t. He couldn't do it when Louis’ body against his own felt like the most natural thing in the world.

They kept dancing, lost in lust, and Harry felt himself harden. He would be embarrassed about it but Louis kept rubbing against him, eyes closed and a soft smile on his face. It all happened fast after that; there was a shout somewhere in the crowd, the increasing smell of panic in the air and Harry felt a body knock against his back, toppling him over. He grabbed Louis a bit too harshly and lifted the hybrid to take them away from the crowd and when he glanced over his shoulder, he managed to see through the low light, two men pushing each other, clearly ready to fight.

He didn’t realize he was holding Louis up as if the hybrid weighted nothing; but he heard a soft moan in his ear. He froze. His hand was still cupping the back of Louis head, one of his arms was under Louis’ arse. Louis had his legs wrapped around his waist and his nails were digging into Harry’s shoulder blades.

Louis just _moaned._ Harry didn’t know if in his haste to get away he had hurt Louis, but when he leaned his head back to watch Louis’ face, he saw it was even more flushed. Louis was biting his lips and looking at him with the kind of look that screamed desire.

_Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck._

“Harry?”

He turned around and saw Zayn looking at him, concern twisting his handsome features.

“It’s time for him to go home, but I gotta find Liam and Niall and they seem to have disappeared.”

“I think they’re busy,” Harry replied, thinking back to Liam disappearing with someone in the restroom. “I can take Louis home.”

Zayn didn’t look pleased.

“Listen, no offence but I don’t know you nearly enough to give you Louis’ address like that. I don’t trust you yet so I’d rather it’s me who take him home. You can stay here and maybe keep an eye open on Liam and Niall while I’m out?”

Harry swallowed the protest on the tip of his tongue and nodded.

“At least let me carry him to your car.”

Zayn smiled slightly and turned around. Harry inched Louis up, making sure the hybrid was comfortable and followed after Zayn. Like this, he could hear Louis’ soft snoring. Louis’ forehead was pressed against the side of his neck and he felt how hot it was. He frowned and couldn’t help the flare of panic in him. He sped up and breathed in relief when the cool night air caressed his skin in the most pleasant way. He cuddled Louis closer and grimaced when he realized Louis wasn’t wearing his jacket but only a thin plain white shirt. He hurried to the large car where Zayn was already waiting, the backdoor open.

“Lay him there. He always passes out cold when he’s drunk so you can be a bit rough, he won’t wake up.”

Harry hummed but didn’t acknowledge Zayn’s words; he put a knee on the soft leather of the backseat and laid Louis down gently, allowing himself to caress Louis' cheeks and push his sticky fringe away from his sweaty forehead. Harry made sure the entire of Louis’ body was on the backseats, that his back wasn't digging into anything hard and uncomfortable. For the first time in years probably, he regretted not bringing a jacket. He could have covered Louis up, made sure he was nice and warm. Wordlessly, Zayn shrugged his thick leather jacket and handed it to Harry. With a smile, he put it on Louis, half glad Louis wouldn’t freeze and half sad it wasn’t _his_ jacket.

 _Who fucking cares anyway,_ his conscience said, rolling its eyes.

“Drive safe,” Harry breathed out, standing awkwardly on the side as Zayn closed the door.

“Don’t worry, I don’t drive like Liam.”

Zayn sent him a teasing smile, winked, and walked around the car to the driver's seat, jumping in. He turned the engine on and started to drive away. Harry, with one last glance at the wandering off car, went back to the club, Louis’ warm breathe still tickling his skin.


	7. Chapter 7

It didn’t hurt. That was the first thing he noticed and became aware of. His head wasn’t pounding like it usually would. Already, he was _fucking_ glad he didn’t drink much.

He threw his thick quilt off his legs and stood up, head spinning for a few hot seconds. Maybe he did drink a bit too much, after all. He closed his eyes, trying to make the nauseous feeling go away and once he felt like he could walk without face planting on the ground, he made his way to his bathroom.

He was naked and his skin itched with the need of a good shower; but he still stood in front of the mirror and properly looked at himself. There were no dark circles under his eyes, thankfully, but he paled when his gaze fell down on a rather prominent love bite on his neck. With hesitant fingers, he touched it and groaned when a slight pain shot up the length of his neck. Flashbacks of a blonde-haired, grey-eyed man burying his face where the love bite was, came back to him. He also remembered pushing him away and stumbling away from the crowd. He thought, though he wasn’t sure, that he told Zayn he was off and then ran out of the club. He was positive the driver of the cab he managed to call last night didn’t give him the change. Whatever. He sighed and jumped in the shower.

Once he was changed, he walked through his kitchen and grabbed a red apple knowing his stomach wouldn’t be able to bear anything else. His eyes fell on his dining table and he did a double take when he spotted a gorgeous Prada checked wool Harrington jacket. He picked it up and enjoyed the expensive fabric against the skin of his digits.

It was Louis’. Now that he had seen the jacket, he remembered taking it with him when he went to bid farewell to Zayn, foolishly thinking that he could give it back the day after.

He wanted to check up on the hybrid, make sure he was alright after drinking so much but he also didn’t want to see him after what had happened. Did Louis even remember how he moaned in Harry’s ear? How they were seconds away from devouring each other’s mouth on the dance floor? How Harry had held Louis against his chest because a feeling to protect him had overwhelmed him? He swallowed a rather big chunk of the apple, almost choking down on it.

He draped the jacket over his arm and stepped out of his flat. Outside the building, the sun was shining faintly and the air was stuffed with humidity that made pearls of sweat appear on his forehead. He loathed when such a thing happened and with a tissue, he wiped his face clean. He was glad for the ridiculous amount of cologne he had splashed on himself this morning, at least it would conceal for a few more hours any body odours that shall appear. He threw the core of the apple away and decided he’d get a coffee at the cafeteria at work, eager to get to his desk and relish in the air conditioning.

As he dropped his bag next to his chair, as he went and made himself a coffee, as he greeted Liam who had horrible dark circles beneath his eyes and as he started to work on one of the programmes waiting to be finished, he made an effort to ignore the fancy jacket that he had put in one of the drawers behind him.

It worked until Niall sat opposite him at his desk, a lollipop between his lips.

“Hi, Styles. You look good, better than Liam for sure,” Niall laughed, loud enough for even Liam to hear. Harry had to bite his lips to not join him.

“He looks like death,” he agreed. “When did you guys go home anyway?”

“I _think,_ because I can’t remember what the fuck happened yesterday, that Zayn carried me to my bedroom because I started sleeping in the club. Apparently Zayn found me in the toilet but I don’t believe it. And Liam, the tit, actually went home with a stranger so that’s why he’s so tired. I bet the only reason he’s here on time at all is because he _didn’t_ sleep.”

Harry hummed and tried not to think of Liam in bed with someone else. That would be too awkward to shoulder.

“Louis’ alright too,” Niall continued. “Can you believe the lad lost his jacket? Two thousand dollar, mate. That’s just pouring money down the drain, like who would bring that to a club? Louis, of course.”

Niall rolled his eyes and Harry stiffened.

“About that,” Harry mumbled, turning around and taking the jacket out of the drawer.

Niall grinned, actually _grinned,_ took the cherry-coloured lollipop out of his mouth and spoke with so much pride in his voice that Harry was surprised the word didn’t suddenly tattoo itself on his forehead.

“Fucking knew it!”

Harry was so confused.

“You’re going to bring it back, right?” Niall asked, pointing his lollipop at Harry as if it were a finger, threatening him to behave.

“Of course,” Harry scoffed. “I’m not a thief. What’s more, that jacket is way too small for me.”

“Oh, are we talking about a kink?” Niall smirked.

“I beg your pardon?” Harry couldn’t help but blush.

“Oh, you know, you looked like you were on the edge of moaning when you referred to Louis being smaller than you.”

Niall was so pleased with himself that he was red. Harry wanted to throw something at him but instead, he swallowed down the need to crawl under his desk.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he decided to say at last. Niall unimpressed look told him the hybrid didn’t believe him.

“Oh, come off it, if you think I didn’t see you and Louis dance yesterday, you’re underestimating me. Even drunk I spotted you guys drooling over each other and eye-fucking one another.”

 _What the fuck,_ Harry thought. _What the fuck what the fuck what the fuck._

“It’s okay you know, people usually fall in love with Louis. That’s, like, a natural reaction to his magnificence,” Niall revealed, shrugging his shoulders as if he didn’t just put Harry on the spot.

“Right,” he answered pathetically, heart pounding against his ribcage.

“You don’t have to feel bad, honestly. Had you been an asshole, I would have broken your neck already but now you’re a lad! We all wanted you here with us yesterday night, even Louis, so relax.”

 _Even Louis._ Bells started to ring in Harry’s head and he looked at Niall as if the hybrid had given him gold. Niall snorted.

“Bastet, you’re blind as fuck. Anyway you better give that jacket back. Tonight if possible. Louis was stupid enough to bring one of his favourite jackets yesterday. Also, you should ask him if he’s hurt.”

“Hurt?” Harry repeated, alarmed.

“Oh yes,” Niall said as he stood up. “Just ask him. He, um, wouldn’t go into details.”

Louis’ soft, needy moan rang loud and clear in his mind. Niall gave him a look that probably meant he could read his mind, knew exactly what it was that he was thinking. Harry watched as the hybrid stepped into the elevator and disappeared, leaving him flustered. It would be impossible to focus now that he knew he had to see Louis again so soon.

A few hours later, he had managed to print out a completed file and go to Liam to give it. The man was almost snoring and drooling on his desk when Harry stepped in his office. It was a rather quaint room, with white walls and a few paintings hanging here and there. There was a lonely cactus on Liam’s desk in the far end corner. Harry put the file softly on the stack of papers and he pondered without he should disturb Liam or not. At the end, he let Liam rest and went out, closing the door behind him gently. He had wished he could waste some time talking to Liam but he was done working and Louis’ jacket was glaring at him from the drawer. He passed one hand through his hair, long enough now to be fisted and looked up at the ceiling. _Lord, give me strength._

He turned off his computer, put his satchel on his shoulder and grabbed Louis’ jacket. He folded it carefully and went to the restroom to check himself out one last time. He didn’t know why; he shouldn’t care all that much about what Louis would think of him and yet, he dusted a bit of cologne on his wrists and neck and tried to comb his hair into obedience with his fingers.

Niall wasn’t here when he stepped out of the elevator. He stood there for a minute wondering if Louis was still there after all. Night was rapidly falling and only the chandeliers provided a bit of light. He walked to Louis’ office door and knocked once, twice. He waited, holding his breath, and felt his body’s temperature drop when Louis appeared in front of him. As was becoming his wont, he was taken aback by Louis’ beauty.

The first two buttons of Louis’ shirt were unbuttoned, showing smooth skin. His fringe was messy and fell over his eyes. His soft cat ears were turned sideways. Harry saw that Louis’ black tail was wrapped around his own leg and he frowned when he took in Louis’ small, tired figure.

“Harry?” Louis whispered. He became more alarmed, Harry noticed.

“Hi,” Harry smiled, hoping to make Louis relax. It didn’t work, judged by how Louis gripped the door tighter.

“Hi.”

Harry cleared his throat. He thought they looked odd, standing in the doorway like this, but he did nothing to change their position and simply handed the jacket to Louis with both hands. Louis’ eyes dropped down and a flash of surprise passed on his face.

“Oh, you had it?” Louis asked.

“Hm, yes. I left shortly after you so I took it with me to make sure it would not be left behind,” Harry swallowed the ball of saliva that clogged up his throat. He knew Louis found it weird, he should have never taken the jacket in the first place. Louis was loaded, he could afford another one. Hell, he could buy the whole brand.

He didn’t expect the smile that slowly grew up on Louis’ face, nor did he expect it to blind him. It was just that when Louis smiled, thousands of stars appeared in the sky, hundreds of candles were lit up in a cathedral. It was as if flowers bloomed in Spring and spread their delicious scent in every nook and cranny of the earth. There were adorable creases at the corner of Louis’ eyes that Harry wanted to kiss.

He wanted to do so much to Louis that he wasn’t sure were allowed.

“Thank you so, so much. I thought I had lost it for good.”

Louis’ voice was just so _soft,_ like a breeze in the middle of the night. Harry felt actual chills go through his body.

“Come in?” Louis sounded hesitant as he said that but still, he stepped aside and made room for Harry to enter. 

Harry really should decline. He knew it.

He felt Louis’ body heat as he walked by him to the comfortable sofa. He squinted his eyes against the dim light to spot the carpet and made sure not to trip over its edge, again. He watched as Louis put his jacket on a wooden furniture. Harry thought he was going to pass out as he traced the movements of Louis’ black, fluffy tail. He wanted to stroke it, maybe feel it against his own skin.

Louis glanced up at him. “Cognac or whiskey?”

“Cognac.” Harry put his bag next to his feet and laid back against the plush material of the settee underneath him, momentarily closing his eyes to savour its softness against his tense back.

“Tired?” 

He opened his eyes and looked up at Louis, who was standing in front of him with a glass filled with clear liquid. He took it gracefully and immediately took a sip. He hummed.

 _“Eau de vie,”_ Harry stated. “It’s delicious.”

It really was. There was a light fruit flavour lingering on his tongue. He had never tasted a brandy so exquisite before.

“One of my favourites. It’s raspberry, zinfandel grape and cherry flavoured.”

Louis twirled the liquid around in his own glass, eyes cast downward. His eyelashes were diffusing shadows over his cheeks as the moonlight pierced through the floor-to-ceiling window. When Louis looked up, his blue eyes were sparkling, waves of emotions storming through them. Louis was so expressive, as if epithets were written on his skin to tell Harry how he was feeling.

“How is work?” Louis wondered, clearly not knowing what else to say. Harry shrugged. That wasn't a question he really felt like answering now.

“Still amazing. I can’t ask for more, everything’s already great.”

“That’s good to know, then.”

Silence fell, only disturbed by Harry’s own pounding heart echoing in his ears.

“Louis?” He swallowed a large gulp of alcohol after the name left his lips. Louis looked at him, _properly_ looked at him, urging him to continue.

“Something is going on.”

There. He said it and he couldn’t take it back. Perhaps Louis didn’t expect him to be straightforward, for he straightened his back up and blinked at him.

“Between us? Yes. I feel like you don’t like me.”

Harry was sure his eyes were about to fall off their sockets.

“Don’t like you? How? _What_ on earth are you talking about?”

Louis frowned. “Well, let’s see. You never really talk around me, you avoid me most of the time, and I feel like I constantly make you uncomfortable. I’m a half-breed, I can see how tense you are or how fast your heart beats sometimes. And I don’t know what I did to make you... act like this around me. Was it what happened in the restroom, after the meeting? Did I make you uncomfortable?”

The more Louis talked, the more his voice became loud, as if he were on the verge of hysteria. Harry felt a pang of guilt about the way he had treated Louis. _But it wasn’t intentional,_ he mentally pleaded, _I’m just an idiot who is very attracted to you and who might be developing a crush on you and I also don’t want you to break my heart because I know you won’t love me back no matter what._ He didn’t say any of this though, or at least not all of it.

“I just don’t know how to act around you. Are you my boss? So that would mean I have to be professional, I don’t want people to talk about me and how I spend my time chatting up with the boss. Or, are you my friend? Can I call you a friend even though you kind-of have my fate in between your hands?”

Louis was silent for a moment. He licked his lips.

“You came with us last night, right? I was the one to suggest you come, you know. I wanted you here. I’m not just a boss to you anymore, we can call each other friend if you’d like. I don’t really care, I just think if we could break down that barrier between you and me, we could be great together. We share the same wit, and I enjoy your company. I wouldn’t be driving you home almost every night if I didn’t like you.”

Harry nodded.

“That’s…. great,” he mumbled, pinching his bottom lip with his thumb and index finger. He saw Louis follow the movement with his eyes.

“We’re clear now, right?” Louis asked and when Harry nodded, he smiled, satisfied. “That’s ace, I’m relieved. It was weird to have both of my closest friends think of you so highly when I was sure you had something against me. Also, I forgot to thank you for yesterday night, when you helped Zayn carry me. That’s embarrassing but what’s done cannot be undone, right?”

“It’s totally fine, don’t worry,” Harry replied easily. He leaned over to put his empty glass on the low table in front of them. Only then did he realize that he was closer to Louis than before, and when he breathed, Louis’ woody perfume went up his nose and fogged his mind. How much he wanted to shove his nose in that sweet spot under Louis’ ear, along his jaw.

“Harry.” Louis’ voice had dropped and sounded huskier. The blue of his irises was disappearing, Harry saw, as he approached Louis.

He wanted to throw all cautions out the windows and give in to temptation. He had been denying himself something he could have had long before, now that he had seen how much Louis wanted him back.

He should stop. They should stop. They _definitely_ shouldn’t be so close that they shared the same breath and felt each other’s warm skin centimetres away from one another.

“Please,” Louis said, voice so low Harry wasn’t sure he had heard it right. But Louis’ eyes told him everything he needed to know as they went back and forth between Harry’s lips and his green eyes.

Fucking _fireworks_ went off when their lips finally met. Harry didn’t consider himself as one to be cliché, but he could swear butterflies over-flooded his lower belly, flying upon one another. His heart was beating so _fast,_ a constant _thump thump thump_ sound that wasn’t loud enough to distract him from what was happening but still _there_ to testify to his inner tremors. He brought one of his hands up to cup Louis’ cheek, and their lips started to move. At first, it was just slow drag of lips against lips. But then Louis whined and pressed his lips down harder against Harry’s, until the green-eyed man had to slightly open his mouth.

Louis’ tongue poked out and half of it slipped past Harry’s lips, and it was like a wakeup call. Harry took Louis’ face in his huge hands and started to really kiss Louis, with as much passion as one would feel when in love. Their tongues became one as they touched and caressed each other. The silence in the room was broken by the wet noises their mouths made.

Louis tasted better than the cognac. He felt better than a midsummer night’s dream. He was everything Harry could wish for. They kissed and kissed until they were breathless and even then they kept going. Louis was practically sitting on his lap, his hands in Harry’s hair, gripping and pulling, making a mess.

Harry liked it messy. Spit covered their chins and shone in the dark room. Harry’s hands travelled down to Louis’ thin waist and he moaned when he felt how hot Louis’ skin was under the shirt. The shirt that he wanted to rip to shreds to see exactly how smooth and flawless Louis’ skin was.

Harry wasn’t surprised to discover how loud Louis was; he was a mantra of _harry harry harry_ and _please please please_ and it was beautiful to the ears. Harry kissed down the curve of Louis’ neck, sighing happily. Louis smelled _divine,_ he smelled bright and citrusy with a hint of pine and burning cigarettes. In his mind, that smell was the hint dropped by God that it had rained yesterday and that dark, wet mulch had spread around the flower beds this morning. It was woody, it was sexy, it was exactly what Harry loved.

They stopped the dance macabre of their mouths to look at each other. Their faces were so close that Harry could count the freckles dusting Louis’ cheeks and nose.

Then Louis _smiled._ Again. But this time it was brighter than a ball of fire. Harry could see his pearly white teeth. He was adorable, Harry thought, as his strawberry pink tongue was caught between his teeth as he grinned. He couldn’t help it when he leaned down and pecked Louis’ lips, one last time, for tonight. He let Louis off his lap and stood up, legs almost buckling under his weight. They felt like jello, which wasn’t surprising after the amount of adrenaline that had mixed itself with his blood. He thought, if he wanted, he could lift the Eiffel Tower or maybe fetch the moon for Louis. He was powerful. He was happy.

“I can drop you off?” Louis suggested, hope colouring his voice in shades of fuchsia.

“No, better not. I won’t let you go and I need to clear my mind otherwise I won’t be able to sleep. And we both have work tomorrow.”

Louis, and Harry couldn’t believe it, honest to God _pouted,_ raw and bitten bottom lip jutting out and simply asking for Harry to come take care of it again. He grabbed his bag with too much force in order to prevent himself from getting back on that sofa next to Louis. He turned around and went to the door, opening it up. Louis was by his side in an instant.

“Goodnight, Harry.” Louis stood on his tip toes and gave a small kiss to him and Harry, well, he wanted to follow that mouth and get it back on his as soon as possible. He was _gone._ He was about to leave when he remembered something.

“Oh, also. Niall told me I might have hurt you yesterday, is that true?” 

Louis looked surprised and then he flushed bright red.

“Why? What happened?”

Harry smiled softly, hoping to reassure him. “Nothing, it’s just yesterday we were on the dance-floor when two guys pushed me and as you were in front of me, I had to push you away and against me. I might have done it with more force than expected and I’m sorry if I hurt you.”

Harry couldn’t read Louis’ face, but he was sure there was embarrassment somewhere.

“No,” Louis sounded as if he were in pain. “No, of course you didn’t hurt me. I was surprised maybe? I don’t know. Don’t worry about it, love.”

Harry wasn’t convinced, but he didn’t push it. Instead, he shared one last lingering kiss with Louis and made his way outside the building and out in the black of the night. 


	8. Chapter 8

There was the succulent smell of coffee in the air which wrapped him up like a thick warm blanket would. He blew on the steaming cup in his hand and took a tentative sip. The burning hot liquid touched his tongue, making him flinch. Still, he took a full gulp of the blackened water and sighed happily when it went down his throat and warmed up his insides.

“Fuck, it’s bloody cold,” Liam swore, coming up next to him and pouring himself a bit of lukewarm tea. “I’m grateful for the air conditioning, I really am, but this is going overboard.”

Harry hummed. “I think something went wrong with it actually. Someone is coming later to check out the air conditioning system. I think there’s a problem with the thermostat, that’s why it’s so cold.”

“Well, they better hurry up. I had to borrow a jacket and I hate working with a jacket,” Liam huffed and Harry scrunched up his nose to not laugh.

He went back to his desk and started working. Hours flew by in seconds after that. There was the occasional random voices piercing through his focus from time to time, but overall he got a lot of work done in record time. He had to give it to Liam; it was really cold that at one point he had to drape his own jacket over his back because he was positively shivering. When he glanced up and looked around, a lot of the workers were themselves hunched over as they only had a thin shirt on. He grimaced in sympathy and finished typing out the entry of AT&T’s website. He couldn’t quite believe they gave him something as relevant as this to do, but he was more than willing to fulfil the request. The company’s internet system was state-of-the-art and user-friendly and it was a joy to boast about its qualities.

A bright laugh disturbed the silence and Harry looked up, smile on his face already there because he knew to whom that lovely voice belonged to. It dropped the moment he found Louis though.

Louis looked stunning, clad in a tight grey suit with a navy blue tie. His caramel hair was styled in a messy fringe, swept over his forehead, the end following the curve of his right cheek. Harry would have admired him, how pink his lips were and how _red_ they would have turned if he could bite on them just now.

Except Louis was laughing with someone Harry had never seen before. Louis even had one of his arms entwined with one of the other hybrid’s arms. And Harry couldn’t help noticing the startling contrast between the stranger’s black hair and bright white cat ears, how his grey eyes sparkled under the sunlight and how smooth and unblemished his sallow skin looked. He was wearing a checkered black and red suit that would have looked odd on anybody else but somehow, he made it work. He was tall, probably as tall as Harry, and he was _stunning._

Harry watched, confused, as Louis looked up at the man with stars in his eyes. It was as if nothing and no one mattered as Louis talked to the other hybrid and Harry felt something burning hot in his lower belly, felt his heart speed up in a way he couldn't find enjoyable. He could tell he was turning green with jealousy but worst of all he felt the urge to _cry._

Because the hybrid was gorgeous, was everything someone could possibly want in a partner and he always thought Louis to be out of his league. Louis deserved someone successful, someone handsome and obviously powerful. _Someone like him,_ he thought, as there was no doubt the tall hybrid was the paragon of perfection. Harry’s hands started to shake.

He stood up and stalked off, not even bothering to look back to see whether he had attracted attention to him or not. He needed to get out, clear his mind a bit before getting back in there. He definitely shouldn’t be thinking of how they had kissed just _yesterday._ There had been despair and longing poured in between drags of their tongue as well as desire and _relief._

He didn’t understand. He threw open a random door, relieved to find it empty safe for a large desk and shelves filled with books, and leaned back against the wall. He slid down until he was sitting on the floor, his arms loosely circling his folded knees, eyes cast on the white ceiling.

He was a fool if he thought he could ever have Louis. A bitter laugh left his lips, seemingly echoing against the four walls, mocking him. And it was only then that the enormity of his feelings came crashing down, like a tidal wave hitting full force a city full of skyscrapers and frail human beings. He had a _crush_ on Louis that he knew was much more than that, but he was too scared to admit the extent of his feelings for the blue-eyed hybrid. Admitting it would be the last straw, it would break him because Louis obviously didn’t feel the same and Harry, for the first time in his life, felt like an idiot.

He had never dated a hybrid before. Trustfully, he always saw them as superior beings that liked to stick together. It was true that hybrids preferred to date other hybrids as they could understand each other but it was in high school that Harry came to realize hybrids also dated humans. While there hadn’t been a lot of hybrids to begin with, he remembered one of his physics teachers who had been an extremely intimidating hybrid and who was married to a human being.

All in all, Harry knew he shouldn’t have expected for Louis to settle for _him;_ a clumsy undergraduate who blurted out embarrassing puns and tripped over carpets and was very much _human._ Nothing about him stood out, except maybe for his eyes that people liked to praise because they were of a deep forest green that even he could admit was charming. But besides that, nothing about him was extraordinary. His nose was slightly too big for his face and when he smiled, his two, slightly longer front teeth peeked out from his top lips. And while to some people it was adorable, Harry could picture Louis finding it _weird._ Harry knew without having even properly seen the other black-haired hybrid’s face that his teeth were perfectly lined and white.

Sighing, Harry passed one hand through his hair and startled when the door opened and Liam’s head appeared in the doorway. Liam frowned as his eyes landed on him.

“There you are. Are you alright?”

Harry could only imagine how he must look there, sitting on the floor, eyes brimmed with unshed tears, cheeks flushed. He looked up at Liam, taking in the man’s short hair and open expression. Harry really wanted to cuddle Liam, perhaps even ask for moral support. Instead, he gave a lopsided smile and shrugged, which prompted Liam to widen his eyes comically. 

“Are you sick? Oh my God, you do look sick, no offence. You should go home, mate.”

Harry started to shake his head to refuse but Liam held one hand up to silence him. “No, seriously. You’re basically done with all the work I threw your way, I gotta find more things to give you. In the meantime, I’m giving you the day off. You got my number anyway so if you’re not feeling well again tomorrow, just shoot me a text, ok? You’ve worked so hard these past few weeks, we’re all pretty proud of you. C’mon.”

Harry took Liam’s outstretched hand and gave him a grateful smile. Though he felt bad for taking advantage of the situation, because he _wasn’t_ sick, he still accepted the offer as he just didn’t want to meet Louis and his gorgeous, most-likely boyfriend-to-be hybrid and have his heart break into tiny particles. 

He took a deep breath and stepped out of the room and into the bright corridor, blinking against the harsh light. There, he saw the back of Louis’ head as he talked to _him._ Harry rushed to his desk, packed up his bag and threw his jacket on his back, not even caring when his shirt’s long sleeves rolled up uncomfortably. He just wanted to get out of here as fast as possible.

Except, luck was never with him it seemed.

“Harry!”

He didn’t need to turn around; he knew exactly who had just called him. He was selfish, so selfish, and that was precisely why he made his way to the elevator, pretending he didn’t hear anything. Liam was probably with them; Harry could feel his eyes burn holes in the back of his head. He reached the elevator and pressed down harshly on the button, silently begging for it to hurry up and open already. Droplets of sweat made his shirt cling to his skin and he cringed inwardly when he heard Louis call him. Again. Except Louis’ voice had a confused edge, something Harry could clearly make out as Louis’ voice carried itself to him like a breeze.

Still, he didn’t look back. He walked into the metallic box and turned around, relaxing when the doors started to shut not even a few seconds later. As he was trapped in the elevator, he had just enough time to catch Louis’ stunning blue eyes before he was whisked away. Away from Louis and heartbreak.

—

There was a random rom-com on the television and a large pint of raspberry ice cream on his knees. He stabbed it with a tablespoon and put the chunk of icy goodness in his mouth, letting it melt on his warm tongue and scrunching up his nose when his sensible teeth started to hurt as the cold went through the porcelain little squares. He glanced at the black screen of his phone and his fingers started to itch, wanting to grab it and turn it on to go through his notifications.

He didn't though. He hadn’t touched it for twenty-eight hours. He had only used the landline to call Liam and tell him he would not make it to work this morning. And he felt so _pathetic,_ sitting on his own in his comfortable apartment, swimming in his self-pity. He had been going at it for an hour and the ice cream had started melting, being now half frozen, half liquid. He sighed and glanced one last time at his phone before shaking his head and focusing back on the television screen though he couldn’t comprehend what was going on in front of him. 

He could picture Louis laying down on a couch with the other hybrid behind him. In his mind, they were cuddling and kissing and laughing together and the visual was _hurting_ him. He shoved more ice cream in his mouth and closed his eyes. He must be a sight, dressed in an old, worn-out Rolling Stones tee-shirt with a pair of washed-out grey sweatpants, eating unnecessary sugar to deal with his aching heart. He was being dramatic, he could admit it, but he didn’t exactly care when the thought of Louis in someone else’s arms made his heartbeat speed up in an odd, painful way.

There was a knock at the door and Harry would never admit it out loud but for a moment, he actually considered pretending not to be there. But it would be rude of him to do such a thing and his mother had raised him with impeccable manners so with a pout, he put the pint of _Gifford’s_ on the coffee table and turned the volume of the television all the way down. He stood up and made his way to the wooden door.

He blinked when he came face to face with Niall. The hybrid was holding a large bag and he was giving Harry a toothy smile. Harry stepped aside and let Niall, a literal ball of energy, bounce inside his apartment.

“That’s a nice flat, Styles. Love those cactuses,” Niall almost screamed, face lit up with delight. It brought an honest smile on Harry’s face which he hadn’t thought possible a few minutes ago.

“To what do I owe the pleasure?” 

Harry followed Niall, watching as the hybrid threw the bag on the dining table and started taking out random things. In the blink of an eye, Harry’s table was filled with pots of paint, the colours matching the ones of the rainbow, and two medium-sized, expensive-looking canvases.

“You know, when I’d get sick and bored, my mum and I would sit down and draw and paint until we were as colourful as our drawings. And I’d always feel better afterwards. It’s also a great way to express yourself, don’t you think?”

Harry sat down at the table, in front of Niall, and stared at him with confusion. He didn’t know what to say. Truthfully, he had never thought he’d ever spend his time with Niall, _painting_ of all things. Niall looked up with a smirk on his face, and took several brushes out of the bad, all of them in different size and thickness.

“I paint when I’ve got nothing else to do, you know? It kind of stuck with me. I’ve always loved drawing and I might not be the best as it but it’s a real therapy, believe me. Just the fact you can draw what you like, or what you’re thinking or, well, draw pretty much anything you want, is fantastic. I do it sometimes with Zayn, the lad is quite talented actually.”

“That’s… that’s cool,” Harry said, just loud enough for them to hear and low enough for it to show how affected he was. No one had ever done something so nice to him, or cared enough about his wellbeing to pay him a visit in order to cheer him up. With wet eyes, he chuckled in disbelief and grabbed the nearest pot of bright yellow paint.

“I’ve been wanting to paint a forest for ages now after watching a documentary on the Amazon,” Niall revealed while taking off his jacket and throwing it on a chair next to him.

“I suck at drawing or painting, to be honest,” Harry rubbed the back of his neck. “Here, I’ll grab a few Blue Moons.”

Niall gave him a thumb up. Harry smiled and went to grab the ice cream he left behind and then marched to his kitchen. He threw open his fridge, put the ice cream back to where it belonged and took instead four beers as well as crisps for them to snack on. As he walked past the microwave, he caught sight of his reflection in the electric oven and internally sighed when he saw how unruly his curls were and how his eyes were slightly puffy, a telltale sign that he had cried earlier today.

He entered back into the living room and saw Niall flipping through his Netflix.

“Oh, there you are. Hope you don’t mind me going through your stuff,” Niall said sheepishly. “I make it a rule to find out what stuff my friends watch. Let me tell you, it’s awful when you’ve got a friend watching something you hate. Because when there’s nothing to talk about anymore I tend to talk about TV-shows and more than once I had to listen to people talk shit about Game of Thrones or Friends. Which won’t do.”

Harry rolled his eyes but couldn’t help smiling. “Don’t worry mate. So tell me, do I live up to your Netflix-standards?”

“I saw in your list Skins, Money Heist, Lucifer, The Rain, Dark and The Walking Dead. You’re now my official best friend, fuck Liam and his tirades on how great Peaky Blinders is. Louis is great, but he’s binge-watching Black Mirror right now which I can’t keep up with.”

Harry raised an eyebrow and passed a beer over to Niall. They made their way back to the dinning table where Niall had spread newspaper sheets all over the surface so that they didn’t get it dirty. Harry couldn’t help himself when he promised himself to start watching Black Mirror. _Just curiosity, of course._

He just wanted to find as many things as possible about the hybrid, which he knew wasn’t the best idea if he wanted to put some distance between them. He took a sip from the cold bottle of beer and signed contently.

“How are you feeling, though? Liam said you caught the flu,” Niall asked while handing him a few brushes.

“I’m alright,” he answered, shrugging. He sniffled for good measures, figuring he might as well play hooky.

“Liam and Louis have been worried, mate. While I told them you eat like a horse so you’ve got enough nutriments in that body of yours to get you through whatever shit you caught, they both acted like my mama.”

“Did they?” Harry said dumbly, pathetically trying and failing to picture a worried Louis. All he could think about was Louis laughing with that other hybrid.

“Oh yes, they’re ridiculous. I mean while we, hybrids, tend to act like a _maman poule,_ Louis is particularly sickening but in a sweet way. Last time I fell ill, he brought me mushroom soup for a whole week. Mushroom soup that he didn’t cook, of course, the best thing he can cook is grilled cheese. But well, it’s in his nature to care for the people he loves, you know? He told me to wish you a great recovery, by the way.”

Harry’s grip tightened around his bottle of beer.

“Give him the thanks from me.”

Niall smiled softly at him.

Harry took one of the brushes, dipped it in a glass of water and then covered its tip in a vibrant yellow colour. He started to paint, letting the brush slide across the white of the canvas. He didn’t have anything in mind, actually, and while he felt bad for ruining Niall’s art supplies, he still emptied his head and let his hands do the work.

Before he knew it, two hours had ticked down. Niall was sipping his third beer and all the snacks were gone. Dazedly, Harry glanced at his phone and let the brush he was holding splash down into the glass of brownish water. He stretched his arms out and sighed contently when his back popped. He glanced at Niall and saw him carefully painting trees and he was taken aback when he saw how beautiful the painting looked. It was as if a camera took a blurry picture of the Amazon forest from above it, trying to convey through that photography alone the hollowness that a creature as insignificant as a human being could feel within the wilderness of that hostile, foreign landscape.

“You alright Harold?” 

Harry blinked and glanced at Niall. He chuckled, feeling his cheeks redden since he was caught gaping at Niall’s painting.

“Yeah, you’re just really talented.”

“Were you underestimating me?” Niall teasingly said and Harry scrunched up his nose.

“Anyway, what have you got there?” continued Niall and for the first time since he had stopped painting, he looked down at his own creation.

Most of it was yellow. There were drops of black in the middle. The background was blue and green but overall the colour yellow was prominent, offering a startling contrast compared to the polished wooden table and the dull white of the newspapers.

“Are those… sunflowers?”

Harry hummed. The painting wasn’t bad, but he was surprised Niall still managed to make out a few sunflowers among the random brushstrokes. They were large, taking up most of the canvas except for a few little gaps where the blue sky behind them were visible. He frowned, wondering why he’d paint them. His grandmother used to have a garden full of sunflowers but a few miles away from his grandparents’ little farm, there was a meadow filled with Shasta daisies which were his favourites; he could recall in vivid details the contrast their white petals offered against the bright green wet lawn. They were particularly stunning after a night of pouring rain.

Little, he spent a lot of time at his grandparents' house. He loved the smell of the farm, the sight of the cattle, the blue of the clear sky and the distant sound of the wind as it cut through the air and ruffled his curly hair. He could still remember the juicy apples on the trees, the wet soil dirtying his rubber boots, the fragrance of his grandmother’s pear pie as she let it cool down on the kitchen’s wooden window sill. His bedroom was in the attic and with the rain there came the pitter-patter of the heavy droplets. His tiny window’s glass would become blurry with the humidity and cold.

And then in the morning, as the smell of cooked eggs and toasted breads reached his nose from downstairs, he’d jump into his boots, kiss his grandparents goodbye and run to the meadow just to catch the delicious sight of it in the early hour, when it looked its best. The wet Shasta daisies would always wait for him at the bottom of a rainbow.

Swallowing down the lump in his throat, he stood up and took an almost-full packet of cigarettes out of a drawer. He put one between his lips and threw one at Niall, who caught it with ease.

“You coming?” Harry asked, motioning the balcony with his head.

Out of the window, there wasn’t a single clouds. The sun was shining but it wasn’t as bright as when it was at noon. He heard Niall’s footsteps as he lit up the tip of his cigarette. But he drowned them out when he thought that, while Shasta daisies had always been his favourite flowers, sunflowers had always seemed to him as majestic ones that couldn’t be loved properly because they were too _good;_ and sunflowers, they kind of were like Louis Tomlinson.


	9. Chapter 9

He was ashamed when he showed up at the Whitacre Tower four days later with a can of Redbull. For some awful reasons he had actually fell ill a few days ago. He had had trouble sleeping ever since and to give him a burst of energy, he had to get himself an energy drink that he usually loathed.

He stepped inside and his eyes went around, appreciative of the smell of cleanliness. He had kind of missed being at work insofar as staying home and doing nothing wasn’t something that pleased him in the slightest. He smiled at Betty who lit up upon seeing him.

“Mr Styles, it’s been a while!” she said, a soft tone to her voice.

“Indeed, I was unfortunately sick. Also, how many times do I have to tell you to call me Harry? You’ve been working here longer than I.”

She shrugged and shook her head. “I’m just a receptionist, dear.”

Harry wanted to protest but his gaze fell down on a little plastic pumpkin in one of the corners of the reception table, filled with candies.

“Are we in October already?”

Betty looked at the tiny pumpkin and then at him, raising an eyebrow.

“Yes. Why?”

For a moment, Harry gaped at her. Time went by so fast, he couldn’t believe it. He sighed and finished his drink, scrunching up his nose at the taste.

“Nothing. Just didn’t see the time fly by.”

She hummed in sympathy.

He went to the elevator and sighed happily when he was at his desk. Already there was a stack of files waiting for him but nothing too heavy. As he sat down and put his satchel underneath the desk, Liam came out of his office and made a beeline for him.

“Buddy!”

Harry stood up and let Liam take him in his muscular arms. Liam patted him on the back, all the while Harry caught a whiff of his citrusy smell and smiled genuinely.

“It’s good to see you. Niall told me how you were feeling. I would have visited you but it got crazy over here and Louis has been giving me hell. How are you feeling?”

For the first time since he met Liam, he realized how fast the man talked, which was quite amusing.

“I’m doing fa _boo_ lous! What about you?”

With a huge smile, Liam started talking. “Oh, I’m fine actually, I’m happy to see you again! And the latest project was a total success! We managed to get in touch with France and Germany. Also-” Liam stopped abruptly, blinked, and then threw his head back, letting out an obnoxiously loud laugh.

“You did not just do that pun, you did fucking not.”

Harry joined in and soon they were both breathless from laughter, going into several fits of giggles whenever they glanced at each other. 

“I had to do it. It’s spooky month! I won’t miss a chance to do a pun.”

Liam laughed one last time and they talked some more until they both had to actually work. It was easy to focus and he toiled away so that he was able to go through three whole files before lunch.

He was on his way out when he saw Louis. The hybrid had his back turned to him and he was speaking to a stranger. To make it to the door, Harry had to walk by Louis.

He gripped his satchel’s strap tighter and, relaxing his body, made his way towards the entrance. At this hour, the hall was busy. People were hurrying, not having enough time to eat outside or lagging behind to the point they couldn’t afford eating anywhere else but at their desk. He was a few meters away from Louis now.

He sent a smile to Nicholas, one of the engineers he often saw with Liam. He came closer to the potted plants along the walls. He was only a meter away from Louis.

The first thing that hit him was the agreeable scent of expensive cologne. For some reasons, his nose was able to pick it up among the torrent of bodies and other odours. It was strong, it was overpowering, it was everything and he wanted to walk closer to where Louis was just to get a proper taste of Louis’ skin. He became hyper aware of Louis’ suit which kissed nicely his curvy form. He wasn’t smiling but just talking and gesturing his hands around as if words alone weren’t enough to make his speak-buddy understand the severity of the situation. It was mesmerising, the way Louis’ delicate wrists moved angles.

He made it past Louis. He licked his dry lips and exhaled as he heard Louis going on with his conversation. He stepped out. The air was stuffy with humidity, cars were honking in the distance and a man was playing guitar on the streets, with an upside-down hat on the ground. It held a few dollar bills.

When he glanced over his shoulder, his eyes met Louis’. 

—

Maybe it was his fault, maybe it wasn’t, but all he knew was that there was someone on top of him and the back of his head throbbed after hitting the ground.

When he opened his eyes, he saw that the ground around him was covered with papers. His papers. His freshly printed papers. He closed his eyes and groaned when something applied an unwanted pressure on his hip.

He didn’t have to think too much about who was on top of him; the set of black and white ears tickling his jaw was more than enough. He let his eyes linger on the ceiling for a moment until he felt Louis sit up. Louis’ legs were on either side of his hips and he could feel the warmth of the body above him.

“Harry."

There was surprise colouring his tone. Harry looked up into Louis’ beautiful face. His fringe fell over his eyes, which were wide open and fixed on him. A sweet red colour was painting the apples of his cheeks, and Harry wanted to sweep his thumbs over them, just to see if the skin felt as hot as it looked. He also wanted to trail kisses all over Louis’ face. He gulped when the hybrid’s bottom ground down on his crotch, making his cock tickle. He bit his lips, trying to keep in the sound he wanted to let out and he prayed he wouldn't get hard in the span of a few seconds.

"Nice to meet you, Louis," he managed to say, his voice deeper than usual. Louis must have noticed it too as his eyes became darker and his little pink tongue darted out to lick his rosy lips.

"I feel like I haven't seen you in years," Louis frowned as he said that, eyes flashing. "I wonder _why_."

Harry didn't say anything; he wasn't fool enough to think that Louis hadn't noticed how he had been avoiding the hybrid. He cleared his throat and pushed his hips in the ground, hoping to put some distances between their bodies; but Louis' knees tightened around him and he even felt Louis' tail lay over one of his outstretched legs. Through his dress pants he could feel the soft fur against his skin.

"We've both been busy," Harry tried, groaning when Louis' nails dug into the flesh of his chest. 

_Never thought I'd have to deal with an angry hybrid. An angry kitten._

Louis pursed his lips to show a pristine white upper canine.

"You're lying to me. I hate liars. Why have you been avoiding me? Why? Do you realize how much of an arsehole you've been?"

Louis' ears were flat against his head and his tail was now waggling dangerously fast behind him. Slowly, Harry let his hands caress Louis' ankles, then knees, then he let them rest on his dainty waist. Louis didn't flinch or show any sign of disliking the gesture, but his eyes were still focused on Harry in a way that made goosebumps rise on his body.

"You're mad. And I understand that, but you need to calm down. Would you do that for me, kitten?" Harry made his voice soft, trying to coax Louis into calming down except this had the opposite effect.

" _Don't_ call me that," Louis snapped. "You don't get to call me that after snogging me into my own home and then proceeding to ignore me for the following few weeks."

Harry opened his mouth to answer except Louis kept talking, as if everything he had kept hidden within him were finally coming out.

"And you know what sucks the most, Styles? It's the fact I know how much you want me. How much you want to fuck me until I can barely walk, I know it, I fucking do and it sucks because I would have let you! But instead you go and act like a bloody idiot and you fucking avoid me for no reasons. You're a coward, Styles!"

It was starting to hurt where Louis' nails were on his chest, but he didn't dare move. He felt his own anger build up inside of him, threatening to spill over like molten lava.

"If I'm an arsehole, then what are you, jumping on another man the day after our snogging session? What does that make you?"

Louis' eyes widened, clearly taken aback. For a moment there was just silence. Harry was so mesmerised by Louis that he almost forgot where and in what position they were. Anyone could walk in on them and see them like this, boss on top of one of the temporary engineers. Louis' grip, for some reasons, tightened around him. Harry tried to sit up but the hybrid was holding him down, putting his whole weight on top of him.

"What... what man?"

Harry gave Louis his most incredulous glare.

"Tall, handsome hybrid? White cat ears, charcoal-black hair? Does it ring a bell?"

Their faces were now centimetres away, and Harry could feel Louis' hot breathe on his upper lip. They were both looking at each other with a kind of intensity that left Harry gasping for more. But there was also a challenge in the air, singing a song that only them could hear. It was sensual, it was dangerous.

"You're so stupid," Louis whispered, his voice going up at the end. "Are you talking about Andrew? My _cousin?_ "

Harry's mouth dropped open and he felt his cheeks heat up. But before he could say anything, a pair of soft and wet lips were on his and he was kissing Louis. He moaned in the hybrid's mouth and felt Louis' tongue thrust between his lips and touch his own tongue. And then they were kissing, and kissing, and kissing. There was saliva on his chin and Louis didn't look any better. With a rush of adrenaline, Harry flipped them over so that he was now on top of Louis, the hybrid's pretty thighs cuddling his hips. He let Louis grab his hair and started to kiss down Louis' throat, savouring the sweet smell of perfume and something that he couldn't describe but was so obviously _Louis_.

Louis moaned prettily as he grabbed one of the hybrid's thighs and inched it up, his hand big enough to cover almost the entire of it. When he looked into Louis' eyes, they were practically just black, a pool of lust and tension rendering the baby blue of his eyes intense and rich. And they kept kissing until their lips tickled, until they were sure they would bruise and turn a deep burgundy colour.

"How was I supposed to know?" Harry mumbled in the crook of Louis' neck, letting his tongue and teeth play with the skin there.

"Couldn't you just talk to me?" was Louis' answer, and Harry thought.

He thought of how much time they had wasted because of him.

—

It would leave him speechless sometimes when Louis would throw him a smile across a room full of people or when he'd grab Harry's hand as they walked by each other. It would make butterflies erupt deep within his belly when Louis would drive him home and they'd end up making out for minutes that felt like hours. Louis was at his house and Harry had promised to take him out on a proper date tonight. It would be the first time he would see where Louis lived and he was nervous.

The night was beautiful. The sky was clear and there was a faint breeze in the air, just enough to be comfortable. He was dressed in a black and white patterned shirt, tight black jeans and leather black boots. His hair swept on one side, slightly damp from the shower he took earlier.

He gripped the wheel tighter as he was getting closer and closer to where Louis lived. He parked his car somewhere, preferring to walk a bit to clear his mind. The city was alight with laugher and music and neon lights that brought everything alive. He smiled when he saw children playing together as their parents bought hotdogs. He smiled when he looked up and saw balloons tied to a pole, floating in the air. He sped up through the crowd of people.

He walked past a table but in his haste, he tripped over something. A pitiful whine was heard and, after stabilising himself with the table next to him, he looked down and saw a little puppy looking up at him with big round eyes.

“Oh buddy, I’m so sorry,” he said, his heart clenching. He bent down to caress the puppy as an apology but it was hesitant and was hiding behind a man’s leg, its owner probably.

With an encouraging smile from the owner, he let his hand fall open in front of the puppy and slowly it started to creep towards him until its wet and soft muzzle was in Harry’s palm.

”He’s a sweet one,” Harry told the stranger.

”He is. His name is Mica.”

Harry stood up, kissed the top of the puppy’s head one last time and then started to walk away.

Louis' house was in a renowned neighbourhood that only wealthy people could afford. As he drew closer and closer to the rightful street, the throng of people became less suffocating. In a street corner, while the air thinned out to leave the smell of well-trimmed lawn and expensive carpet, Harry spotted a little well-kept flower shop with a welcoming front. He stopped for a second, eyes on the bright interior and, biting his lips, he looked left and right and crossed the road over to the shop.

Before seeing Louis' house, Harry spotted the high and black gate with intricate details. He gulped and went to buzz for Louis to open for him. There was a moment of silence and then the double door gate opened and he slid his body through the gap. The house in front of him was even more gorgeous than he could have expected; its roof was brown and the walls were marble white. The gardens seemed to stretch forever and there was a fountain in the middle with several angels, all of them holding music instruments. With long strides, he joined the entrance quickly and, swallowing the saliva in his mouth and taking a deep breath, he knocked.

The wooden door was solid and thick, leaving his knuckles hurt for a moment. He waited and waited.

There were noises on the other side of the door and then Louis appeared in the doorway, looking like an angel. He looked beautiful, dressed in a black turtleneck, a checked bottle green and black jacket, black skinny jeans and boots. Harry couldn't believe he got to take out someone like Louis and he was overwhelmed when Louis smiled prettily up at him and went on his tiptoes to kiss his cheek.

"Hi," Louis said, voice as sweet as melted sugar. Harry couldn't help himself when he put his arm around Louis' waist and made their chests touch. He buried his face in the crook of Louis' neck and felt himself relax at the smell of the familiar body wash and perfume.

"Hi," he said back, his voice slightly muffled.

They looked at each other, just enjoying the fact they were seeing one another outside the Whitacre Tower. A weight in his other hand made him come back to earth and he looked down at the bouquet he was still holding. He stepped back, cleared his throat and presented the flowers to Louis who smiled so big his eyes crinkled. With delicate hands, Louis took the bouquet and put his nose among the soft and sweet-smelling petals. He inhaled, eyes closed.

The yellow of the sunflowers contrasted spectacularly with Louis' all black outfit.

"Thank you so much for these."

Louis blushed and turned around to give the bouquet to a woman that had appeared and, after whispering to her, he stepped out and closed the door.

"Are we walking?" Louis asked while putting his arm through Harry's.

"No, I've got my car parked not far away."

"And here I thought you were a secret member of Greenpeace," Louis raised an eyebrow and Harry let out a disbelieving laugh.

"Maybe I am and my car is electric," he answered, trying to be as serious as possible. In the end, they both giggled and Harry never felt so happy.

He knew his car wasn't half as amazing as Louis' Lexus but he took pride in his clean and grey Mercedes that his parents had gifted him for his twentieth birthday. The car made a soft noise as he unlocked it and he walked ahead of Louis to open the door for him, he who sat down gracefully, a smirk on his face. Harry closed the door and made his way around the car while his mind kept drifting to the way Louis' body had moved, the way his tail had wrapped itself around his own waist to not bother him as he sat down. Harry took his place behind the wheel, feeling his pants become tighter already.

_Fuck._

It took him a while to find the perfect place to take Louis. He had wanted a warm and welcoming restaurant where the food was excellent and at last he found it; _Dakota's,_ a subterranean seafood and steakhouse with a garden waterfall view. It had a New Orleans-style ambiance with its brown and beige colour scheme and huge wine glasses. The table he had booked was in a corner and offered the much needed privacy to chat about anything.

In the corner of his eyes, Harry saw Louis looking out of the window. The landscape flew by in a blurry mess. The street lamps and car lights made the hybrid's long eyelashes cast shadows over his smooth cheeks and right there, all Harry wanted to do was to kiss him. He wanted to cradle Louis' sweet face and kiss it until the shape of his lips were tattooed on Louis' skin.

Harry wasn't sure how they were together in a car, on their way to their first date, when a few days ago they were avoiding each other like the plague. Well, when _he_ was busy avoiding Louis as much as possible, scared that the sight of Louis with another man would break him. He had never been good at hiding his feelings; people used to call him an open book. And that was why he had been so adamant on not speaking to Louis lest he'd break down and spill his guts about the real depth of his feelings.

Feelings that he didn't want to admit to himself. Not yet at least.

He could have missed the restaurant, hidden in between two tall trees, neon light sign discreet and insignificant in the darkness of the night. He knew the road by heart though and soon enough he was parking. He didn't miss the way Louis' face lit up as he figured out where they were headed and Harry was so pleased with himself that he gaining confidence. As he rounded his car and opened the door for Louis, he presented his own arm and Louis took it happily, his two little hands circling Harry's biceps with a kind of delicacy that left Harry hungry for _more_.

They walked in silence at first until Louis broke it, the breeze carrying his sweet voice like a soft lullaby.

"Did you know sunflowers are my favourites?"

Harry blinked and then looked down at Louis, who looked up back at him, eyes curious. Harry wanted to kiss him.

"No, but I've always thought them as majestic flowers," he revealed. He couldn't help thinking, _majestic like you._

"They are. My mother, Clémence, loved them. I remember she used to buy a few to put into a vase on the kitchen table."

The way Louis talked about his mother allowed Harry to understand that Louis had a profound respect for her.

"My grandmother had a garden full of them. I kind of grew up watching them."

Louis hummed. "That's sweet. I wish I could see a garden like that. I'm a city boy, that means no space for a garden."

When Harry glanced at Louis, a flash of nostalgia crossed his face but it was gone after a few seconds. Harry bent down and let his lips graze Louis' ear.

"I'll take you to a garden of sunflowers one day."

Louis smiled radiantly and turned his face to peck Harry's lips. When he pulled back, stars were like specks of dust within his blue irises and Harry couldn't help but lean down again for another kiss. But Louis put an index finger against Harry's puckered lips and breathed out a little giggle.

"Dinner first," Louis whispered before putting some distance between their bodies.

They entered the restaurant and went to a woman waiting behind a counter. She smiled at them and straightened herself up.

"Hello," Harry said in his deep voice. "I reserved a table under the name Styles."

She nodded and indicated for them to follow her. She took them to a table in a corner, next to a floor-to-ceiling window that overlooked a waterfall made out of stone. There were pumpkins here and there among greenery that gave the place a bit of colour.

"I was about to ask why the pumpkins, but then I remembered it was October already," Louis said, chuckling, eyes on the waterfall. Harry hummed and pulled the chair for Louis, watching as Louis sat down gracefully, tail moving left and right, ears straight on his head.

The moment Harry sat down, a waiter stepped in and gave them the menu. From time to time, Harry would glance up and watch Louis, and sometimes he would catch Louis' eyes. They'd both look down and whenever it happened, Harry couldn't help the little smile that appeared on his face. And he thought that Louis too was smiling.

"I think I'll take the Tempura Rock Shrimp with a Caesar salad," Louis announced, closing the menu and putting it next to him. He put his chin on the back of one of his hands and Harry felt his eyes on him.

"I'll go with the burger," Harry finally decided.

They were now properly facing each other, without anything but their empty wine glasses to separate them. Like this, Harry was able to drink in Louis' perfect face, from his pink lips to his baby blue eyes to his soft caramel brown hair and to his adorable nose. Without really thinking, he thought he wouldn't mind spending the rest of his life just looking at the hybrid.

"What?" Louis asked, voice teasing.

"You're beautiful," Harry told him honestly and instantly, Louis' cheeks turned rosy.

"Thank you." Louis bit his lips. "You're not so bad yourself."

Harry let out a disbelieving laugh, throwing his head back and he was _so elated_. He felt it in bones, as soft as the first sunlights on the wet lawn in the Appalachian mountains. When he let his eyes fall on Louis once again, the hybrid was hiding his grin behind his hand, but then his expression turned serious.

"Listen, Harry. I know this, whatever you call it, might feel weird to you, because technically I'm your boss. And I wouldn't do that with anybody else, but there's something about you. I don't know if it's your stupid jokes, or your gorgeous eyes, but I want this to work. You won't work for me in a few months, this won't be awkward anymore."

There was honesty in Louis' eyes and Harry relaxed back in his chair, feeling the velvet-coloured leather cushion his back. The fact Louis found him attractive made him feel pleased and he had to fight to keep the grin off his face. 

"I know," he said after thinking. "It's not awkward. I mean, it was at first but that was because I thought of you as someone out of my leagues. You can have anybody, Louis. And I wasn't sure you were interested and we didn't see each other all that much even when I wasn't avoiding you. But I like you, a lot actually and this could work, I think."

The look Louis gave him was enough. They _could_ make this work.

Later that night when they were done eating and there was a comfortable buzz in their heads from the few glasses of wine they had, they made their way to a park nearby. The night was still young and the air wasn't stuffy anymore. Instead there were words flying around and writing a story about how Harry thought he was _falling_ a little bit more as the clock ticked down. Everything about Louis was amazing, especially when the hybrid had ended up stealing Harry's ice cream _just because,_ or when Louis had considered buying five inches high red heels that almost gave Harry a heart attack. Just thinking about Louis walking around in those made him dizzy with lust.

Harry was now leaning against his car and was watching Louis as he walked to the black gate in front of his house. Harry didn't know what to do with himself so he pushed his hands in the tight front pockets of his trousers. He glanced down at the dark brown stain on his shirt, once the common pink of a strawberry ice cream, and couldn't help but smile.

"I can wash it for you, if you want."

Harry looked up at Louis and shook his head. "Nah, I like it. Give it some originality, don't you think?"

Louis looked at him as if he had grown two heads. "No? That's a nasty ice cream stain on a shirt that I know had cost a lot. I can clean it, that's the least I can do after annoying you."

"No, kitten, that's alright. I like it when yo annoy me, that allows me to annoy you right back."

Louis rolled his eyes and turned around to walk back but at last, instead of going through the gate, he spun around and ran until his body crashed against Harry's. His lips met Harry's, hard, and they kissed with a newfound desperation. Harry wrapped his arms around Louis' waist and drew him closer to his body until no space between them was left. They didn't care they were snogging where anyone could see. They were lost in each other and Harry felt lust build up in his lower belly.

Harry let go and Louis walked backward with a knowing smile. Louis used one of his keys to unlock a thin door in the gate and, one last time, he glanced over his shoulder.

"When you arrive home, check your pants' back pockets!"

And just like that, he was gone.


	10. Chapter 10

It was raining. Clouds were angry high up in the sky, translating their fury in a language only Zeus could understand.

His steaming cup of tea was reassuring in his hands, heating up the skin there and fogging the window glass. He was dressed in loose black sweatpants and an oversized white tee-shirt. It was silent all around him but the streets below were busy, filled with people who decided to spend their Sundays outside with their friends and families.

Harry took his pack of cigarettes and lit up one. He didn't make it a habit but he liked the smell and the taste. He also loved the way his body relaxed as he inhaled the smoke. He took a sip of his tea and then a drag from the burning stick. He would be lying if he said he was smoking just because he wanted to — he was actually anxious. His knee kept bouncing up and down and his eyes glanced at his left, at the coffee table.

There was a few things scattered over its surface; a few magazines, a pair of balled up socks, a bottle of deodorant. But there was also the reason as to why he was smoking and staring out of his window at eight in the morning on a cloudy Sunday morning when he would usually be sleeping.

He stood up and went to his kitchen to put his cup in the sink. Sighing, he walked past his phone which was plugged in to charge and went to his couch. He sat down, let his body go lax against the cushioned goodness beneath him and stared ahead at the piece of red napkin that he had found in one of his pants' back pocket earlier this morning.

There, on the folded over serviette, was scribbled in an uneven handwriting, a series of digits which were staring up at him. And next to it, there was a doodle of a little flower and an arrow pointing at it with _sunflower_ written above. Despite himself, Harry smiled softly and grabbed the napkin, letting his fingers caress the soft fabric.

Last night, when he came back home, he went straight to his bathroom to take a shower and have a much needed wank. He did so while thinking of Louis' lips around his shaft, sucking him long and slow, all the while moaning and sending vibrations through his length. He fantasied about pushing Louis face down on his bed and eating him out for hours until the hybrid was loose enough thanks to his tongue to slip inside of him and fuck him, nice and slow, until they both climaxed.

His orgasm had left him boneless and so tired that he went to sleep without checking out what was in his pocket. It was only when he woke up that he found it and now, there he was, wondering if he should text Louis so early in the morning lest he'd seem overly eager.

_Fuck it._

He got hold of his phone and opened a new message. He entered the number and let his thumbs hover over the keyboard, wondering what he should said. In the end, he decided to send something easy and sweet.

 **From Harry:** _Hi kitten._

He threw the device next to his thigh and closed his eyes. He finished his cigarette, let the pitter-patter of the rain wrap him up in a warm cocoon, and fell back asleep.

—

Harry put a bit of perfume in the crook of his neck and on his wrists, rubbing them together and letting the slightly wet skin touch his clothes to spread the pleasant fragrance around. He put his bag over his shoulder, grabbed an apple on his way to the door and stepped out of his flat. In his pocket, his phone buzzed and with a smile he took it, mouth still chewing.

 **From Louis:** _I have a boring meeting this morning. I don't wanna go!_

 **From Harry:** _W_ _e could text each other, I've got loads of puns._

 **From Louis:** _No, thanks. Though I'd love it if you passed by to see me._

Harry shook his head fondly and quickly answered that he would visit the hybrid during lunch break.

The weather was nice. As he walked, there was the faint smell of damp cement and the scent of buttery croissants coming from a bakery he walked past. Saliva flooded his mouth but he quickly took another chunk of his red apple to quench his thirst for something so unhealthy. He had to try and stay fit after all. He moved smoothly through the people of Downtown Dallas and couldn't help it when he slowed down in front of a costume shop. He eyed with distaste the clown costume on display but stared at the set of fake cat ears on the side.

They didn’t seem as soft as Louis’ ears, but the tip of his fingers still tickled with the need to touch the fur. Absently, he thought about how he hadn't gotten the opportunity to feel Louis’ flawless fur beneath his digits.

He closed his eyes, shook his head and kept on walking. 

The trip to his desk was uneventful and he dropped his bag at his feet. He sat down and threw the core of his apple in the rubbish bin. He powered up his computer and laid back into the leather of his chair. His eyes travelled around him until they ended up on an innocent looking coffee cup next to the keyboard. He blinked and reached out, grabbing it and smelling the sweet smell of coffee beans that came from the little slit in the plastic cap.

He turned it around and smiled when he found a message written in an elegant handwriting.

_Change in plan. I can't see you during lunch. But please come see me tonight? At home? Louis x._

Harry took a sip of the drink and noticed it was made the way he liked; black with two sugars.

—

Stumbling in the dark were lost dogs that Harry barely dodged as they came running down the road towards the unknown. He sighed and put his hands in his coat. He sped up when he saw the top of a familiar roof. He could see it thanks to the street lamps and how lit up Louis' house was, orange and yellow coloured glows illuminating the otherwise gloomy streets. He reached the black gate and relaxed when it swung open as soon as he pressed the button signalling he was waiting.

Harry walked to the door and raised his fist to knock before he remembered Louis had told him to not do it and just enter straight away. He pushed the door open and stepped through the doorway, shrugging off his coat and hanging it on the coat rack. The hall was filled with the smell of food and saliva flooded his mouth. He followed the path that the spices had mapped out in the air and he wasn't surprised when he arrived in the huge kitchen where Louis was busy swirling a wooden spoon in a cooking pot. With a smile, Harry leaned against the wall opposite Louis and crossed his arms over his chest, eyes never leaving the hybrid.

Louis was dressed in nothing but an oversized white tee-shirt that covered his thighs and dipped low around his collarbones. He probably was wearing tight boxer shorts as well and Harry caught himself wanting to lift the shirt up to see for himself. From where he was he could tell how soft Louis' legs would feel; there were the thinnest hair Harry had ever seen on them and they smelled of flowers because Louis liked to rub his body with scented creams every night after his shower. To watch Louis move his body around like that, half-naked, was driving Harry mad.

There was a hole in the tee-shirt for Louis' tail which was swinging to and fro, setting a rhythm that Harry found addictive. His ears were standing straight up on his head and sometimes would move. Harry was mesmerised by them when Louis finally spoke up.

”You do know that I heard you enter the house, right?”

Louis spun around, sauce-covered spoon in his hand, and he licked it clean, a smirk on his beautiful face. Harry felt heat pour down in his lower belly and he raised an eyebrow when Louis covered the cooking pot and stalked towards him, body graceful.

”Crap, and here I thought I could rob this gorgeous house,” Harry teased and he opened his arms when Louis was close enough to him. He sighed as he buried his nose in Louis’ soft hair and felt the warmth of the hybrid’s body soak through the layers of his clothes.

"How are you?" Louis asked, voice muffled and losing itself in the fabric of his shirt.

"Good, great even. How are you? How was your day?"

Louis groaned. "Long and strenuous. I need holidays."

"You are your own boss. You can give yourself a few days off."

"Easier to say than to do."

Harry stared into Louis' eyes and bent down to kiss him.

"I made Bolognese pasta, let's eat. You can not say a single thing about my cooking."

After pointing a threatening finger at him (which made him bite down on his bottom lip to keep the laugher from bubbling out of him), Louis led him by the hand to the dinning table but instead of sitting down Harry figured he could help setting up the table. While Louis went to check on the sauce, Harry opened drawers after drawers without finding what he was looking for. He frowned and turned around when Louis spoke up.

"Haz, here."

Louis had opened a drawer above him and was halfway through grabbing two plates when Harry decided to come up behind him and reach for those plates himself. He was much taller than Louis so while the hybrid had to go on his tiptoes, Harry simply stretched his arm out and with his big hand took what he needed. His hips softly pushed against Louis' lower back until his chest was against Louis' back and even though it was subtle, he still heard Louis' soft intake of breathe.

Harry closed his eyes for a second and then grabbed with his other hand two glasses. He set everything down on the table and leaned against its edge, watching as Louis carried the cooking pot, then the bowl of pasta, to the table. He also pulled out of the fridge a bottle of wine and Harry's belly rumbled loud enough for Louis to hear and the hybrid started laughing.

"Shut it, you," Harry groaned before pulling Louis into his arms and biting the sensitive skin beneath Louis' ear, sending Louis into another fit of giggles.

" _Bastet,_ let's eat before it goes cold!"

Surprisingly, Louis' cooking was good. The Bolognese sauce was perfect, rich and burgundy brown and creamy and aromatic and he ate two huge plates dusted with Emmental cheese before deeming himself full enough. Sometimes, when he'd look up, he'd catch Louis' fond eyes.

"Niall lied to me. Said you were an awful cook," Harry revealed, sighing contently and stretching limbs out. Louis gently kicked him in the shin.

"Yes he did. I can do simple things, Harold," he winked.

After cleaning the kitchen, they went to the couch to lie down. 

"What do you want do do?" Louis whispered.

At this hour, the sky was pitch black and there was a few stars visible through the clouds. The moon was peeking from around one of them, its bluish glow ethereal in the darkness. The television was off and there were no noises besides the steady rhythm of their breathing. Louis was curled on top of Harry, his hands tucked over Harry's chest, his tail caressing Harry's thigh. Harry had his arms around the hybrid and was drawing feathery light patterns on Louis' back. Sometimes, he'd feel Louis shiver above him.

"Where is this going?" Louis whispered into the night and Harry stilled, his brain racking to find an appropriate answer. What were they? Harry was sure of the depth of his feelings, but what about Louis? There was insecurity in between their kisses and caresses, and sometimes it felt as if their relationship would break into tiny pieces that could get lost in the ocean, never to be found again. Harry figured that honesty might be the best thing to opt for, but he also wasn't sure he wanted to have that discussion right now. Not when Louis was so soft above him, not when peace was the master of the hour. He gulped. Sometimes a ship had to dock.

"I don't know, but what I know is that I like you. A lot."

Louis relaxed. "Good. Me too."

It was Harry's turn to relax. It felt as if the weight of the world had been taken off his shoulders.

"I'm sorry," Harry finally said, eyebrows coming together in a frown.

Louis lifted his head to look at him, eyes wide and curious. "Why?"

"Because I was an idiot."

Louis snorted and somehow, it was attractive when he did it. "That you were. But it's fine now, ok? I don't blame you or anything. What matters is that we're here now, together."

"Won't our relationship influence my internship though?" Harry couldn't help but wonder.

"No. If your work is shit, it's shit. But from what I've seen it's far from that. Liam always compliments you because you're hard-working and organised. I might look like a cute little hybrid but I know my job and I take it seriously so being with you won't change anything at work. Don't worry."

"I didn't mean to offend you," Harry said softly, hoping Louis would hear the sincerity here. When Louis looked up once again, his eyes had a gentle edge to them.

"It's fine, I'm sorry... It's fine."

Then Louis kissed him. They made out for a long time, until they were too tired to keep their eyes open. They fell asleep to matching heartbeats.

—

Waking up was easy this morning. It was warm and tasted sweet, it was bright and colourful. When Harry opened his eyes, he realized he was on a couch, in a nice living room, with a sound asleep hybrid next to him. Somehow, during the night, their position had shifted so that Louis was cocooned between the couch and Harry's body, tucked away under his arms. It were as if he had wanted to keep Louis safe from everything bad out there. He allowed his body to relax and he went back to breathing steadily lest he'd wake Louis up.

Outside, the sky was fair. The house was half-lit because most of its doors were closed, but through the single window in the living-room, high enough so that no one could break in easily, a single ray of sunshine made its presence known by warming up the pieces of furniture on its path.

Louis moved, his tail curling up around Harry's wrist. His cat ears tickled the underside of Harry's jaw.

Harry wouldn't mind waking up to this for the rest of his life.

"G'morning," Louis mumbled, voice breathy.

"Good morning, kitten."

Louis hummed, fisted hand coming up to rub at his heavy eyes.

"Time's it?"

Harry twisted his neck around to look at the clock mounted on the wall.

"Almost seven thirty."

"That's so early," Louis whined, before getting his upper body up to have a proper look at Harry. "Hi."

"Hi," Harry smiled, scrunching up his nose to keep the laugher from spilling out. Louis' hair was a bush, strands of it flying around. His tee-shirt had slid off one of his shoulders, exposing his prominent collarbones. He looked stunning.

"Are you hungry?" Louis asked as he sat up and pushed his toes beneath Harry's legs, wriggling them, making Harry smile.

"Quite actually, but I'd like to brush my teeth if you don't mind. I hate eating with a pasty mouth."

Louis stood up and Harry followed suit. He watched Louis' round arse as he took the stairs, bare feet delicate as they came into contact with the cold tiles.

The house was stunning and warm; even welcoming. There wasn't a lot of furnitures to begin with but the synthetic flowers brought colours to the quaint decor. There was a few abstract paintings here and there that he didn't know about and he thought they were a nice touch. The bathroom was huge, with a large bathtub and an equally spacious shower. It smelled of lavender and was in a colour range of white and rock grey.

"Are you going to shower?" Harry asked as Louis turned on the shower faucet, hand going under the strong spray of water to regulate the temperature. Louis glanced over his shoulder at him and smirked, before grabbing the hem of his tee-shirt and pulling it over his head, leaving himself standing in just tight black boxer briefs. The sight of Louis like this, with his fluffy tail tempting him, made Harry's cock twitch in his pants.

"Yes, I am. Feel free to join me."

Louis kicked his underwear aside and stepped into the shower before closing its door, his silhouette still obvious even though the shower glass had started to fog up because of condensation. Harry took a deep breathe and spun around to process what had just happened. Quickly, he grabbed a spare pink toothbrush and brushed his teeth until his tongue stung due to the menthol toothpaste.

He unbuttoned his shirt, his pants, took off his socks and pushed them all on the side. He took a moment to look at himself; he looked healthy, happy, with his cheeks flushed red and his eyes bright green. He stepped into the shower and immediately, Louis pushed his body against his. Harry let his nose trail along the curve of Louis' neck and he breathed in the heavenly smell of Louis. He put his hands on Louis' hips and felt himself grow harder as Louis pushed his arse back on his erection. 

Wordlessly, Louis poured a bit of coconut body wash in his hands and rubbed his palms together before putting them on Harry's chest. He started to rub and Harry let Louis' fingers explore his tattoos. They were looking at each other, never quite breaking eye contact, and Harry dipped his head down to put his lips on Louis'. It was soft and slow, the way they kissed, like honey and treacle tarts. Louis added his tongue in the mix and soon enough their lips were dancing together. All the while, Louis' hands travelled south, _south,_ until he was able to wrap one of them around Harry's cock.

Harry moaned, the sound getting lost into Louis' mouth.

Louis started to move his hand up and down his shaft, tracing the vein on the side and caressing its head. Harry moaned even more and his hands grabbed Louis' arse, feeling them bounce. His fingers touched where the base of Louis' tail met his lower back and he felt the hybrid shiver.

"You like that?" Harry asked rhetorically and he touched Louis' lower back again, just to see the way Louis' body responded to him. He allowed his index finger to travel down until it disappeared in-between Louis' arse cheeks and found Louis' rim.

"Fuck, Harry," Louis moaned and his hand went faster around Harry.

Harry moved them so that Louis was against the glass. He was now circling Louis' rim, feeling the tight skin loosen and Harry really wanted to get his tongue there. Except Louis twisted his hand the way Harry loved and after doing that once, twice, Harry spilled all over Louis' hand, coating the skin with his release. His brain went blank for a moment and when he came back to himself, he realized his finger was still on Louis' rim and the hybrid was gazing down at Harry's cock, awe written on his face. 

Looking up, Louis brought his cum-covered hand to his lips and licked what laid there.

" _Fuck,_ " Harry whined and before Louis could process what was going on, Harry spun him around so that the hybrid's chest was now against the glass. Harry dropped to his knees behind Louis and started to leaves kisses on Louis' arse, biting the flesh and sucking love-bites where thigh met cheek.

"Oh my god," Louis whispered, face flushed, eyes closed and mouth open.

"Can I, kitten?" Harry questioned, voice deep and heavy with lust. Louis nodded fast and Harry didn't wait. He spread Louis' cheeks and looked at the sight before him; Louis' rim was lovely and pink, begging for attention as it clenched around nothing, asking to be filled.

Harry laid a wet kiss on the little hole and started to lick around it. Louis chanted a mantra of _harry harry harry_ and it urged Harry to lick with more fervour. Louis' tail came down to lay on Harry's shoulder, tickling his back in the process. Spit dripped down Harry's chin and his jaw was in pain, but he kept going on, wanting Louis to climax. When it happened, Louis cried out his name and his tail curled around Harry's neck in a loose grip.

For a moment, neither of them spoke, until Louis straightened up and turned around, eyes going wide as he willed his tail to uncurl itself from where it was around Harry's neck.

"I'm sorry," he said, voice small.

"Don't be, kitten, I loved it."

Harry stood up, his knee bones popping, and engulfed Louis into a hug. They kissed a bit more and got out of the water since their fingers had started to turn pruney.

Later, when they were on the balcony, bathing in the sunshine and enjoying the outdoor air, Harry came to the conclusion that Louis contained in his eyes the sunset and the dawn and life without him wouldn't be so bright.


	11. Chapter 11

As the weeks progressed, so did their relationship. They went on other dates and most of the time they turned out in unexpected ways; there was that one time when Louis didn’t wait until his tea had cooled down and ended up burning his tongue (resulting in Harry blowing softly on the pinky flesh and then kissing the pain away). Or, a few weeks ago, when they decided to go at the amusement park and just to make Louis smile, Harry accepted doing the roller coaster even though he _hated_ it; ten minutes afterwards, he was puking his dinner in a dark street corner as Louis caressed his back.

Harry’s favourite date though was when he showed up on Louis’ doorstep at seven in the morning on a beautiful Sunday. Louis was so pissed about the fact he was woken up so early on a day off that Harry barely missed a pair of Louboutin baskets as it was thrown at his head. To make Louis feel better, he cooked a great breakfast; pancakes, sausages and fresh pressed orange juice.

"Where are we going?" Louis asked as they sat down in Harry's car. Harry smirked and kept his eyes on the road, ignoring Louis' hand as it settled down on his thigh.

Louis was wearing a nice thin white tee-shirt with skinny jeans and sneakers. Harry went for a similar outfit except he chose a flannel shirt, the first four buttons unbuttoned to leave his toned and tattooed chest on display.

"Tell me, please!" Louis insisted, except Harry was adamant on keeping their final destination a secret. Harry relaxed in his seat and focused on the landscape before him as it came and went, changing, moving after every second.

Harry wasn't quite sure what made him wake up this morning and decide that it was time to take Louis out on a more personal, more meaningful date. He wasn't even sure this could be considered as a date; they had been together for two weeks now and Louis had already become an essential part of his life. He was an anchor, Harry could tell, because sometimes he'd wake up thinking he would like to give up except... except there was Louis and giving up Louis was out of question.

All he knew was that today was special. 

"There are snacks in the glove compartment," Harry told Louis, and the hybrid promptly opened it. His eyes lit up when he saw the candy and chocolate bars as well as salt and vinegar crisps.

"Did you bring this for any particular reason?" Louis wondered, his eyes big and wide and so beautiful.

Harry only smiled. Louis huffed before leaning over to kiss Harry on the cheek. Then, he grabbed a chocolate bar, ripped it open and started to eat all the while looking out of the window and up at the burning sun.

—

The familiar sight of buildings and cobblestone streets gave away to one of greenery and cattle. It had been hours since they had left Louis' home, and Louis was asleep next to him, his knees up on the chair and against his chest with his arms wrapped around them. His head was resting on a jacket which belonged to Harry and which he had found on the backseat. It was balled up to cushion his temple and protect it from the hard surface of the door. Harry glanced at him and warmth spread in his lower belly. He reached out with one of his hands and gently pushed Louis' fringe away from his closed eyes.

As he did so, he felt Louis' wet breathe against the back of his hand. He turned down the air conditioning and sped up, eager to get out of the car and bring Louis to a place he had been missing for a while now.

Miles later, a tiny dot made its appearance. As he came closer, his eyes filled with tears and he blinked to chase them away.

There was a house made out of wood and it stood among a vast field of lawn. There was a car parked next to a tractor and he could hear dogs barking somewhere in the distance. He drove towards the house and parked the car near the entry. He turned off the engine and sat in silence for a moment, enjoying the things he could see. He looked at Louis and caressed his cheek once again, this time not stopping. He felt Louis move and his eyes fluttered open.

"Hi," Harry whispered, leaning down to kiss Louis on the lips. Louis smiled softly and opened his mouth, inciting Harry to slide his tongue in the heat there. They made out for a few minutes until a knock on the window glass made them jump apart. Harry turned around just in time to see his grandmother straighten up, a knowing smile on her face.

"Harry, who's that?"

Harry could hear the confused edge in Louis' voice. He took both of Louis' hands in his own and couldn't help the thrilled laugher from spilling out from his lips.

"That's my grandmother, Lizzie."

Louis' eyes widened. Harry opened the door and stepped out, immediately falling into Lizzie's opened arms. She smelled like she always did; a combo of eau de cologne and baked apple pies. 

"It's been a while dear, I'm so happy to see you, I've missed you!" She said, before grabbing Harry's face and forcing him to bend his knees so that she could kiss his forehead.

"You look good, grandma," Harry candidly said, taking in her tanned skin, her radiant smile and rosy cheeks. He saw Louis move behind him. "Grandma, let me present you Louis, my boyfriend. Louis, this is my grandmother, Lizzie."

Louis, with a soft smile, reached out to shake Lizzie's hand except she pulled the hybrid in a hug, catching him off guard. Louis hugged back though, his tail moving gracefully to show how much he appreciated the cuddle. From above Lizzie's shoulder, Louis looked at Harry with perpetual happiness on his face. Harry winked at him.

"Let's get you both inside and then I'll let you two spend your time together. I have to run to the supermarket later."

Harry took Louis' hand and guided them into the house. The indoor decor was homey and welcoming, with photos pinned to the wall, potted plants here and there and china dolls on random pieces of furniture. It was obvious the house was old and Harry could see his ten-year-old self playing with his stuffed toys on the floor of the living room. On some walls there were still the doodles he did when he wanted to be naughty and after all this time, Lizzie had kept every single (bad) drawings he had done for her on the fridge.

"That's a lovely house," Louis acknowledged, his eyes fond as he looked at the impressive collection of romance novels.

Harry hummed. "I spent my holidays here. It's a second home for me. It's good to be back."

Louis' grip on his hand tightened and when Harry looked down, Louis didn't hesitate before going on his tip toes and pecking Harry's lips.

Harry's cheeks started to hurt from smiling.

They sat down in the living room and the couch squeaked under their combined weight. Lizzie arrived, holding a trail with coffee, tea and sugar biscuits. She set everything down on the coffee table before settling herself in the rocking chair. It used to be his grandfather's favourite spot in the house, always lounging in it with his newspaper opened on his lap. The chair was facing the window which meant that he had a privileged view of the sunset. 

"Suit yourself loves," she said, pushing the trail towards them and crossing her legs. She joined her hands behind one of her knees. Harry poured tea in three cups and gave Louis his, with just a dash of milk. He gave a biscuit to the hybrid as well and smiled contently when Louis happily drank the tea and munched on the sugary biscuit.

"I'm curious to know the nature of your visit."

Harry saw Lizzie try and fail to hide her smile and he had to hold himself back from rolling his eyes.

"It's a secret," he declared and he heard Louis mutter _are you kidding me._ Harry pointedly ignored him.

"Do tell me if I need to do anything. It's good to see you with somebody. Do you know you're the first boy he's ever brought home? The first anybody, really."

Louis blushed and Harry coughed, shooting an incredulous look at Lizzie who drank her tea, looking smug.

"I'm certainly honoured," Louis said and Harry stuffed his mouth with biscuits.

They kept chatting for a bit until Lizzie stood up and declared she had to go. They all went out and Harry watched as she drove away, living them on their own in the farm. When he searched for Louis with his eyes, he found the hybrid sitting on the hood of his grey Mercedes. He looked stunning, the sunshine rendering his hair honey-like and his eyes pale blue. Harry stood between Louis' legs and let the hybrid hook his arms around his neck, bringing their bodies closer to one another.

"The first, hm?" Louis muttered against Harry's lips and Harry felt himself redden.

"Yeah."

"That's sweet," Louis assured him, fingers playing with the hair at the back of Harry's head. Instead of answering, Harry allowed himself to taste Louis' lips again. There was the flavour of butter and chocolate as well as the fragrance of his grandma's signature aromatic tea. Kissing Louis was like opium; it was addictive. Harry couldn't get enough of it and he caught Louis' lips between his teeth and played with the flesh, letting it go once he was sure the lips would be a velvet red.

"Why did you bring me here?" Louis asked and he looked up at Harry through his eyelashes, eyes wide and tempting and Harry let out an exasperated giggle before leaning down to give Louis as eskimo kiss. 

Harry stepped back and opened his arms, as if he were about to fly, and took a deep breathe.

_"How poor are they that have not patience!"_

Louis' mouth dropped open.

"You're quoting Shakespeare now? _Really?_ " Louis laughed. He took a step towards Harry except Harry stepped back, and when the hybrid started to walk towards him, he turned around and ran.

Harry heard Louis yell at him but he kept running, rounding the house. He knew Louis was following him judging by the sound of the footsteps rushing behind him. He couldn't keep his smile off his face and he felt _free,_ the speed at which he was going making a faint breeze from the South arrive to caress his skin and ruffle his hair. He felt as if he were a little boy all over again, chasing after Teddy, one of his grandmother's dogs. Except he was now a grownup teasing the man he was in love with.

 _In love._ He felt his heart stop and for a moment the world stilled. His breathing was suddenly too loud, breaking his eardrums and fracturing his ribcage. It was the first time he properly acknowledged the depth of his feelings for somebody he met three months ago. As his feet kept taking him away and away, he felt as if he were rediscovering himself.

He wondered, not for the first time, whether he was an idiot or not.

When he stopped, his chest was heaving and his throat was dry. Louis came to a stop next to him and immediately grabbed his bicep.

"You are an asshole," Louis declared, before bending in half and laughing.

Harry didn't laugh, but he looked at the clear sky, at the sun, at the healthy lawn around them, at the tall trees on either side of them. Then he set his eyes on Louis, who was sitting among the grass. His ears were standing tall on his head, his tail was laying behind him on the ground. His forehead had pearls of sweat which made his fringe stick to the skin there. His cheeks were pink, his face flushed, his collarbones glistened under the shy sunshine. He looked ethereal.

"Come," Harry said and he reached out and took Louis' hand. The hybrid stood up and they looked at each other in silence for a moment.

"Do you trust me?"

Louis nodded, once, confident. Harry's heart started to beat faster and he walked with Louis falling into steps with him. They were rather far away from the farm house now, far enough that the cows were grazing on the lawn a few meters away from them. Harry led them through the open space to the forest and knew exactly which way to go as they went deeper and deeper among outgrown roots, wildflowers and fallen leaves which crushed beneath their feet. The canopy was thick enough so that they were shielded from the sun, but the light still filtered through, allowing them to see the moss and the damp tree trunks.

Harry knew when to turn right, when to turn left and when to go straight ahead. He had the forest mapped out in his mind like the tattoos on his arms, permanent and as clear as water.

And Louis trusted him. Trusted him enough to keep quiet and walk into the unknown.

Harry parted with his free hand a few leaves and he stepped into _the_ meadow.

Louis gasped, his mouth open.

"Surprise," Harry whispered and slowly, he wrapped his arms around Louis.

He could remember at this moment that night a week ago when he told Louis about this place; and at this period of the year, the Shasta daisies had already bloomed and were covering every inch of the meadow. He felt Louis' arms tightened around his waist.

"It's beautiful."

Harry put his nose in Louis' hair, closing his eyes. "It is."

Harry kind of wanted for this moment to never end. As they walked in the middle of the meadow and laid down among the flowers, Harry thought of how on their own they were. They were in their little world, in their own bubble. He was hyperaware of Louis' body against his, of Louis' breathe falling in the crook of his neck or of Louis' chest moving up and down, matching his own breathing pattern.

"I understand why you love this place so much. It's so peaceful," Louis said after a while, after they had looked up at the clouds and drew unspoken words in them.

"Sometimes I'd spend my whole day reading and reading, laying there. Grandma used to make me peanut butter and jam sandwiches to take with me and then I'd come back home when it was time; I had a curfew otherwise I would have even slept here."

Harry felt Louis press his smile in his shirt.

"I never had a place to call my own," Louis admitted, voice small.

Harry, somehow, managed to draw Louis closer to his body until there was no space left between them. He kissed the top of Louis' head and tried not to worry too much when Louis' trembling hand slid into his own. He could understand Louis, could hear his thoughts for some reasons. So he said the one thing he was the most sure of.

"It's our place now."

And for as long as possible.


	12. Chapter 12

**Eight months later**

**—**

There was an indie band playing on the radio and it was definitely too early to listen to a song like this, except Harry let it finish. He flicked his cigarette's butt to make the ashes fall on the ground and felt frustrated tears blur his vision. In front of him, there were leaves and greenery and a cliff high enough to kill him, had he wanted to jump off. He really didn't want to jump though, he thought, he really didn't. He took another long and painful drag of the toxic stick and relaxed as the smoke went to his system.

He laughed bitterly to himself and threw the cigarette butt outside, letting it get lost among the overgrown grass. He shouldn't do that, he was aware, but he really didn't care at this point.

Harry turned on the car and pulled out of his spot. He glanced at the time; seven in the morning. His eyes were puffy and he had a knot in his neck. Regardless, he had to go home.

The traffic was on his side and it took him less than thirty minutes to pull up at the familiar black gate. He took the remote to open it and drove through, parking his car next to the entry. He didn't feel like putting it in the underground parking; all he wanted to do was to find Louis and drink a cup of strong coffee.

The house was eerily silent, he noticed, as he took off his jacket and hung it on the coat rack. He pulled off his shoes as well and lined them against the wall, next to a few pairs of Louis' casual sneakers. He waited for a few seconds, hoping to see Louis come down the stairs to meet him, except the silence remained the same. He went into the kitchen and poured ice cold water in a glass. He drank the whole thing in one go and groaned when the cold made his temples vibrate with pain.

He knew Louis was somewhere in the house, and as he walked up the stairs, his feet took him directly to the door at the far end of the floor. He put his hand on the handle and closed his eyes, breathing through his nose, willing himself to relax and deal with the issue like the adult that he was. He pushed open the door and his eyes instantly fell on Louis, who was on the couch, reading.

The library had quickly become their favourite room. It was made out of wood, from the desk to the shelves. There was row after row of neatly lined up books with their spines facing outward, filling up every nook and cranny. Sometimes, they'd sit down and read together, glad to enjoy a moment of peace away from their routine. Harry gulped and stood wordlessly in the doorway, kind of just admiring the way Louis' eyelashes casted shadows over his cheeks.

Louis must have sensed Harry's eyes on him because just as Harry considered making his presence known, the hybrid looked up and his blue irises met Harry's. Harry saw Louis still, as if he weren't sure whether Harry was really here or not, and before Harry could say, or do anything, Louis was throwing the book he was holding towards Harry.

Harry ducked down and barely missed it. He heard the book hit the wall before falling on the ground with a loud _thud._ Harry glanced over his shoulder at the book and looked at Louis incredulously. But he couldn't help himself from softening when he saw Louis' glossy eyes and took in the way his bottom lip trembled.

"Where the fuck were you?" Louis asked, his voice sharp and so obviously upset.

"In the car," Harry said, not knowing what else to do except beg through his eyes for Louis to calm down.

"In the car? All night? I was so worried."

"You could have contacted me, I would have answered."

"You left your phone in the bedroom."

Harry swallowed the ball of saliva that had accumulated in his mouth and tentatively took a step forward. Louis was watching him and he looked conflicted.

"We argued over something stupid," Louis acknowledged and Harry nodded, his hands twitching because all he wanted to do now was to hug Louis.

"I'm so sorry."

"Are you?"

Harry frowned. "Yes, I am, I'm so sorry."

Louis sent him a look, one that conveyed his doubt, before the lines of his face smoothed out and his cat ears flattened on his head. "We need to communicate more."

"Yes, you're right, and we will. As always we'll figure it out."

Louis opened his arms and Harry almost fell on the ground getting to the couch and wrapping the hybrid in his own bigger arms. Having Louis against his chest felt like taking a breathe after being underwater to the point your lungs burnt; it was salvific. Harry buried his nose in Louis' hair, breathing in the fragrance of grapefruit. He brought one of his hands up and caressed Louis' ear, letting his thumb press down at the base of it which made Louis go completely lax in his lap.

He managed to make them switch position so that he was laying down on the couch and Louis was on top of him. He took Louis' face between his hands and kissed his lips. The kiss turned dirty in seconds, and soon their tongues were dancing around each other. Spit was making the skin of his chin sticky but he kept going on, pushing his face in Louis' neck and sucking love bites there. He wanted to mark Louis, claim his body in every possible way, make him understand that he belonged to Harry and no one else.

Louis' moans made Harry want to show Louis just how much he wanted him. Usually, they made love anywhere they could; against a window, on a desk, in the stairs, over a couch. They had even fucked in the meadow at his grandmother's, with crushed Shasta daisies spreading their lovely smell around as Harry thrusted deeper and deeper into Louis.

But right now, he wanted Louis to feel good all the way. He felt a strong urge to put Louis over satin, sure that on this, his skin would not hurt from overstimulation. Harry stood up and without letting Louis process what was happening, he manhandled the hybrid so that he could lift him and carry him bridal style to their bedroom. Louis moaned and Harry didn't even try to hide his smirk, well aware of how much Louis loved being manhandled. It made him feel tiny, made him feel safe to know that there was someone stronger than him to look after him.

In their bedroom, Harry laid Louis on the king-sized bed and crouched between Louis' knees, staring down at the hybrid and thinking of how lucky he was.

"Harry, _hurry,_ " whined Louis and Harry snapped out of it. He crept his hands up Louis' legs, feeling the thin hair stand up, and leaned down to kiss Louis.

"You like that, kitten?"

Louis' only answer was to grab his shirt and tuck on it, making Harry chuckle fondly. He grabbed its hem and took it off, haphazardly throwing it somewhere behind him. He also took hold of the tee-shirt Louis was wearing — Harry's worn out Rolling Stones tee-shirt which was oversized on Louis — and let it fall to the ground, leaving the hybrid in a pair of gorgeous lacy black panty with a little pink bow on the front.

It was just so _stunning,_ and Harry knew that all he had to do was to flip Louis over to see the way the lace stretched over his round arse and contrasted with his bushy tail. Keeping that in mind, Harry put his nose against the obvious line of Louis' cock and left kisses on his balls all the way up to the head. There he was met with wetness and when he licked his lips, they tasted salty. He hummed and licked the length over the soft fabric, feeling its rough texture against his tongue. Louis' hand found his hair and the hybrid pulled, overwhelmed by the feeling of Harry's hot breathe against his sensible parts.

"Please, want you to fuck me, Haz, c'mon," Louis begged, voice high and needy. It was like music to Harry's ears.

But before giving Louis what he wanted, he had to make sure his hybrid was loose and open. Slowly, he peeled off the panty and left it to lie next to Louis' head. He pushed Louis' knees apart and saliva flooded his mouth as his eyes fell on Louis' pink, tight hole. He looked at Louis straight in the eye before lowering his head down until he was able to lick the skin. He moaned as he tasted Louis and followed the shape of Louis' rim with the tip of his tongue to get it to relax. Then, he breached the hole until his whole tongue was inside of Louis and his jaw was aching.

"Fuck!" Louis shouted, thighs trembling around Harry's head. The sounds Harry was pulling from Louis were getting louder and louder as he started to fuck Louis with his tongue.

Harry loved eating Louis out. He loved how pliant Louis became by just a swept of his tongue over the sensitive skin there. It drove him mad when Louis would squish his head between his thighs since the hybrid was on the edge of coming. Harry could lick Louis out for _hours,_ getting him ready for his rock hard cock.

Harry slid two fingers into Louis and fingered him open. There was tension in the air, palpable due to the fact that both of them knew that soon enough, Harry would be sinking into Louis' tight heat and fucking him until Louis' body-shape was tattooed in the mattress. Harry let his hand fall on Louis' meaty thigh, hard, the sound echoing around in the room. When he straightened up and looked down, he saw that the skin was bright red, the curve of his palm and digits prominent.

There were stars in Louis' eyes. When Harry's face got close enough to Louis', Louis darted his tongue out to lick across Harry's lips.

"Please," Louis said, voice breathy and full of lust.

"Yes, fuck, I got you baby."

Harry opened his jeans and took them off along his boxer briefs. He hissed when the cool air of the air conditioned room met his achingly red and hard erection. He spat into his hand and stroked his cock up and down, getting it as slick as possible. He didn't want to move to get the lube, but he also didn't want to hurt Louis so he stood up and crossed the room to reach for one of the drawers and grabbed the half-empty bottle of regular lube. He poured a bit on his fingers and rubbed them together to warm up the liquid and he gently spread it around Louis' hole before fingering him some more. The sound of wet fingers fucking into a hole filled the room and made Harry's cock twitch.

"I'm ready Harry!"

Harry put his hands on either side of Louis and let the hybrid guide his cock inside of where they both wanted it the most. They moaned together, Louis because Harry was splitting him open, Harry because Louis was so tight and warm and absolutely perfect. Promptly, Harry took hold of Louis' wrists in one single big hand and pinned them over Louis' head, before starting to move. He picked up the rhythm until the melody of their mixed moans and of skin slapping against skin cut through the air.

"Yes, yes, yes," Louis whispered in Harry's ears and Harry felt his heart double in size. He drove his hips harder in Louis, grounded them down the way he knew would make Louis' toes curl.

They looked at each other and there were apologies and I love yous shared between them, unspoken but still loud. Louis came to Harry biting his neck, and Harry came to Louis repeating his name as if it were a prayer. They waited for a few minutes, catching their breathe back and Harry eased out of Louis delicately.

"Don't ever leave me like this again," Louis said and he hugged Harry. They both ignored Louis' come as it stuck to Harry's chest, and Harry pressed kisses wherever he could, metamorphosing them into pleads.

 _I'm so sorry,_ those kisses all meant.

Harry made to get out of the bed except Louis grabbed his wrist, facial expression open. Harry could see the vulnerability there.

"Where are you going?"

Harry hated how small Louis' voice was. He leaned over to caress Louis' cheek and he kissed his forehead.

"I'm gonna clean you up, kitten, I'll be back."

Louis let him go and Harry went to fetch a wet cloth. He came back and cleaned Louis, passing the fabric over Louis' belly and over his shiny, leaking hole. Louis hummed happily.

Harry turned off the light and untied the curtains so that they fell in front of the window. Harry tucked Louis beneath the thick quilt and he laid behind the hybrid, smiling when he felt Louis' tail caress his legs. Harry put one of his arms beneath Louis' head and used the other one to draw Louis closer to him, properly spooning him. He relaxed as he felt Louis' warm body blend with his own and was pleased when Louis' breathing slowed down until it evened out.

Harry softly rubbed the bridge of his nose against the back of Louis' head. For some reasons, he found himself thinking back to when he saw Louis on the couch in the library, with dark circles beneath his eyes revealing that he hadn't slept that well during the night as Harry hadn't been there.

Louis had become such an important part of his life, that he couldn't help but think of how forever had become a possibility. _Their_ possibility. 

**Author's Note:**

>  **Prompt 18:** _So, here’s the thing: cat hybrids have “dominated” the world. They’re in all the leaders positions now. Louis is a hybrid who also works as CEO in a big place. Harry (normal human) is just the clumsy, full-of-bad-puns new intern. Accidentally he discovers how much Louis likes to be manhandled and how much of a pliant kitten he is when pushed the right buttons. That’s the main idea, you can change some stuff!!_
> 
> Thank you so much for reading! If you liked it, don't hesitate to leave a kudo and a comment as I'd love to hear your thoughts on this fic. Much love x


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